EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
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EW CATARACT 35 of studies relied on subjects self- reporting their health information. "It's well-known that people over represent their height and under represent their weight," he said. "The self-reported aspect is a severe limitation," said endocri- nologist Sarfraz Zaidi, MD, Los Robles Hospital, Thousand Oaks, Calif. "However, even in the studies where researchers measured height and weight, there was a correlation between obesity and cataract formation." Endocrinologist Gregory B. Dodell, MD, in private practice, and attending physician at Mount Sinai Roosevelt, New York, addressed the investigators' theories on the connection between obesity and cat- aract formation. "They hypothesize that as BMI increases, there tends to be an increase in systemic infla - mation via cytokines and C-reactive protein, which may predispose to cataract formation. Widespread inflammation is detrimental to organ systems as a whole and may be the likely culprit for cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancer. The mention of leptin, which is a satiety hormone, and the accumulation of free radicals is an intriguing thought." Dr. Dodell would have liked the researchers to comment on subjects' physical fitness and nutrition. He also noted that BMI can be a deceiv- ing marker for obesity, as sometimes physically fit, healthy people could still have a higher BMI. Dr. Garvey said this study is part of the accumulating body of research into obesity. "We're in a changing time of recognizing obe- sity as a disease. This is a position that the AACE is taking, rather than saying obesity is a lifestyle choice," he said. "This could be yet another reason to prevent obesity. That may be jumping ahead, but that would be the implication." If further research finds a stronger link between obesity and cataract, practitioners would want to emphasize prevention, since weight loss would likely not help once cataracts form, Dr. Garvey said. "It remains to be seen to what degree cataract risk is related to insulin resistance and not to the obesity per se," Dr. Garvey added. Cataract formation could turn out to be a lesser-known risk factor associated with obesity, Dr. Zaidi said. Other lesser-known risk factors include fatty liver, sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome, and even vitamin D deficienc . EW Reference 1. Ye J, Lou C-X, He J-J, Xu Y-F. Body mass index and risk of age-related cataract: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. PLoS One. 2014;9:e89923. Editors' note: The physicians interviewed have no financial interests related to their comments. Contact information Dodell: dodellmd@gmail.com Garvey: garveyt@uab.edu Zaidi: contact@doctorzaidi.com Our Patented 3-D D i a m o n d B l a d e s O f f e r U n s u r p a s s e d I n c i s i o n A r c h i t e c t u r e . Asymmetrically Converging Bevels Force Tissue In Three Opposing Directions Within The Tunnel, Resulting In A More Torturous Path For Fluid Egression. Used By Top Surgeons Around The World, Our 3-D Blades Provide The Most Pristine, Water-Tight, And Technically Advanced Incisions On The Planet. The Results Will Astound You. Available On Self-Locking Titanium Handles With All Titanium Components, Which Are Guaranteed For Life. Available With A Complimentary Cleaning System, And An Instructional DVD. Contact 813-885-5050 For A No-Obligation Test Drive. Rhein 3-D Diamond Knives* For Unparalleled Incision Architecture 3360 Scherer Drive, Suite B, St. Petersburg FL 33716 800-637-4346 • Tel: 727-209-2244 • Fax: 727-341-8123 Email: Info@RheinMedical.com * Website: www.RheinMedical.com *U. S. Patent Number: RE37,304 Leonardo Da Vinci Self Portrait ACAJ 1275 Rev.B 05-5101: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 2.4mm Blade* Additional Precision Widths 05-5081: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 2.50mm Blade* 05-5082: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 2.80mm Blade* 05-5083: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 3.00mm Blade* 05-5084: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 3.20mm Blade* 05-5086:3-D Angled Trapezoid 2.50-3.50mm Blade* 05-5091: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 2.65mm Blade* 05-5093: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 2.20mm Blade* 05-5096: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 1.40mm Blade* 05-5102: 3-D Blade ® , Angled Handle, 1.80mm Blade 3 -D F a c et Desig n, Fro nt V ie w Come and See Us at AAO Booth No. 3021 "We're in a changing time of recognizing obesity as a disease. … This could be yet another reason to prevent obesity. That may be jumping ahead, but that would be the implication." –W. Timothy Garvey, MD