Myopia and Age-Related Cataract: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PURPOSE: To examine if myopia is a risk factor for agerelated cataract. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed using Pub Med and Embase from their inception to March 2013 for population-based studies with data on myopia and age-related cataract, including nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataract. Separate meta-analyses for case-control/crosssectional studies and cohort studies were conducted using random-effects models, with results reported as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and relative risks (RRs), respectively. RESULTS: A total of 38 007 subjects aged 30-97 years from 12 population-based studies were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the 7 cross-sectional studies and 1 case-control study confirmed that myopia was associated with increasingly prevalent nuclear (pooled OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.94-4.06) and PSC cataract (pooled OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.49-2.49) but not with cortical cataract (pooled OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.90-1.30). Meta-analysis from 3 or 4 cohort studies showed nonsignificant associations of myopia with incident nuclear (pooled RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.71-2.21), cortical (pooled RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.67-2.19), and PSC cataract (pooled RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.92-1.74). CONCLUSIONS: The associations of myopia with prevalent nuclear and PSC cataract are confirmed in metaanalysis of 8 study findings. The association of myopia with incidence of age-related cataract could not be confirmed in meta-analysis of 4 study findings. ((C) 2013 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)