Is Smoking Related to Cataract Surgery Risk in Patients With Diabetes?

A new study in Eye (London) found smoking was related to cataract and cataract surgery, and specifically examined whether smoking was related to cataract risk in patients with diabetes.

Participants (N = 9578, age: 45 to 65 years) were from the 45 and Up Study, which is the largest population-based cohort study in Australia. Baseline questionnaires were linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) database, and assessed smoking status. Mean follow-up was 8.4 years. During that time, 995 participants underwent cataract surgery. Of the total participants, 10.8% were smokers at baseline, 38.7% were former smokers, and 50.5% had never smoked.

Results showed that incidence of cataract surgery was higher in those who never smoked compared to former or current smokers. There was no significant difference in cataract surgery risk among the three groups. However, there was a significant trend in a lower cataract surgery risk with longer smoking cessation time for participants with normal weight (P for trend = 0.05).

Although smoking was found to be related to cataract and cataract surgery, no association was found between cataract surgery and smoking in patients with diabetes.

Reference:

Han X, Wu C, Yan X, et al. Are smoking intensity and cessation related to cataract surgical risk in diabetic patients? Findings from the 45 and Up Study [published online ahead of print August 2019]. Eye (Lond). doi:10.1038/s41433-019-0550-8.