An Epidemiological Study for Relationship Between Risk Factors and Types of Cataract

The epidemiological study to evaluate the risk factors and types of cataract was performed in 183 cataract patients who received cataract operation in Chung-Ang University Hospital and in 80 control patients from March 1992 to Febraury 1994. Our study revealed that the sun light exposure and smoking were related to nuclear opacity, and drinking and smoking were related to cortical opacity. Also anterior subcortical opacity was more common in patients with heart disease. And the long term use of steroid and patient with diabetes mellitus were risk factors of posterior subcapsular opacity cataractogenesis. In this study we could confirm some risk factors were closely related to the type of lens opacity.