What are cataracts?

1. Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Understanding cataracts. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. July 2022.
2. Liu Y-C, Wilkins M, Kim T, et al. Cataracts. The Lancet. 2017;390:600-612.
3. Newman T. The eyes and how they work. Medical News Today. May 24, 2023.
4. Verwey VF, Mahomed S. Burden of eye conditions at a specialised eye hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Afr Vision Eye Health. 2020;79(1):a518.

Image references: Shutterstock.

Understanding cataracts and their effects

1. Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Understanding cataracts. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. July 2022.
2. Cataracts – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
3. Cataracts. Association of Optometrists. November 2016.
4. Liu Y-C, Wilkins M, Kim T, et al. Cataracts. The Lancet. 2017;390:600-612.

Image references: Shutterstock.

How do I know if I have cataracts?

1. Cataracts. Association of Optometrists. November 2016.
2. Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Understanding cataracts. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. July 2022.
3. Cataracts – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
4. Difference between an ophthalmologist, optometrist and optician. American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. February 26, 2019.
5. Cataracts – Diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.

Image references: Shutterstock.

Treating and preventing cataracts

1. Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Understanding cataracts. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. July 2022.
2. Cataracts – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
3. Liu Y-C, Wilkins M, Kim T, et al. Cataracts. The Lancet. 2017;390:600-612.
4. Cataracts – Diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
5. Cataract surgery. BMJ Best Practice. May 16, 2022.
6. Roberts JE. Ultraviolet radiation as a risk factor for cataract and macular degeneration. Eye Contact Lens. 2011;37(4):246-249.
7. Linetsky M, Raghavan CT, Johar K, et al. UVA light-excited kynurenines oxidize ascorbate and modify lens proteins through the formation of advanced glycation end products. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014;289(24):17111-17123.
8. Ye J, He J, Wang C, et al. Smoking and risk of age-related cataract: a meta-analysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(7):3885-3895.
9. Braakhuis AJ, Donaldson CI, Lim JC, et al. Nutritional strategies to prevent lens cataract: current status and future strategies. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1186.
10. Types of cataract. National Eye Institute. January 4, 2023.
11. Haddad NMN, Sun JK, Abujaber S, et al. Cataract surgery and its complications in diabetic patients. Semin Ophthalmol. 2014;29(5-6):329-337.
12. Cataract surgery information for patients (Version 5). Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals & NHS Foundation Trust. November 23, 2021.

Image references: Shutterstock.

Am I at risk of getting cataracts?

1. Types of cataract. National Eye Institute. January 4, 2023.
2. Liu Y-C, Wilkins M, Kim T, et al. Cataracts. The Lancet. 2017;390:600-612.
3. Ye J, He J, Wang C, et al. Smoking and risk of age-related cataract: a meta-analysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(7):3885-3895.
4. Roberts JE. Ultraviolet radiation as a risk factor for cataract and macular degeneration. Eye Contact Lens. 2011;37(4):246-249.
5. Linetsky M, Raghavan CT, Johar K, et al. UVA light-excited kynurenines oxidize ascorbate and modify lens proteins through the formation of advanced glycation end products. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014;289(24):17111-17123.
6. Appleby P, Allen NE, Key TJ. Diet, vegetarianism, and cataract risk. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011;93:1128-1135.
7. Drinkwater JJ, Davis WA, Davis TME. A systematic review of risk factors for cataract in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2019;35(1):e3073.
8. Mylona I, Dermenoudi M, Ziakas N, et al. Hypertension is the prominent risk factor in cataract patients. Medicina 2019;55(8):430.
9. Cataracts – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
10. Alves C, Mendes D, Marques FB, et al. Statins and risk of cataracts: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies. Cardiovasc Ther. 2018;36(6):e12480.
11. Li Y-J, Perng WT, Tseng KY, et al. Association of gout medications and risk of cataract: a population-based case-control study. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine. 2019;112(11):841-846.
12. Fu Y, Dai Q , Zhu L, et al. Antidepressants use and risk of cataract development: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Ophthalmol. 2018;18(1):31.
13. Steroids and the eye. Royal College of General Practitioners.  

Image references: Shutterstock.

Patient stories

1. Cataracts – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. September 13, 2022.
2. Types of cataract. National Eye Institute. January 4, 2023.
3. Liu Y-C, Wilkins M, Kim T, et al. Cataracts. The Lancet. 2017;390:600-612. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30544-5.

Image references: Shutterstock.

Resources for cataract patients

1. Royal National Institute of Blind People and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Understanding cataracts. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. July 2022.
2. Right to Sight Trust. OSSA (Ophthalmological Society of South Africa).
3. Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness. South African National Council for the Blind. 2018.
4. Novartis South Africa. 8 Tips for after cataract surgery (video). 2020.
5. Novartis South Africa. 8 Tips for after cataract surgery (PDF). 2021.

Image references: Shutterstock.

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