Cataract :: Hispanics at High Risk for Cataracts

Hispanic adults in the United States are more likely than whites or blacks to have cataract-related vision problems due to language and financial barriers, researchers report.

“Visually significant cataract appears to be high among U.S. Hispanic individuals of Mexican descent, as evidenced by rate of cataract and rate of surgery,” conclude a team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Study participants were interviewed about their history of vision problems and eye care, along with their medical history, socioeconomic status and preferred language. Their vision was also tested.

Among the participants, 2.8 percent (135) had visually significant cataract and 5.1 percent (244) had undergone bilateral cataract surgery.

“Cataract is the leading cause of visual impairment in this population and is associated with lower levels of self-reported quality of life; however, a significant percentage of those who likely need cataract removal have never obtained surgery in the population,” the authors noted.


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