ABSTRACT
BUB#\v#a Purpose: To quantify the prevalence of cataract, the outcomes
-]"=b\Q of cataract surgery and the factors related to
!U.Xb6 unoperated cataract in Australia.
uP/PVoKQ Methods: Participants were recruited from the Visual
=ZM #_uW Impairment Project: a cluster, stratified sample of more than
'(A)^K>+ 5000 Victorians aged 40 years and over. At examination
l4u@0;6P sites interviews, clinical examinations and lens photography
=t1.j=oC
were performed. Cataract was defined in participants who
4qo4g+ had: had previous cataract surgery, cortical cataract greater
6J0HaL than 4/16, nuclear greater than Wilmer standard 2, or
z52T"uW posterior subcapsular greater than 1 mm2.
$,"{g
<*k; Results: The participant group comprised 3271 Melbourne
SvC|"-[mJ residents, 403 Melbourne nursing home residents and 1473
33x3zEUt6 rural residents.The weighted rate of any cataract in Victoria
A3ad9?LR[R was 21.5%. The overall weighted rate of prior cataract
a*JM2^,HO surgery was 3.79%. Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had
3nv7Uz
had prior cataract surgery. Of these 249 procedures, 49
0L10GJ "( (20%) were aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber
KpBh@S intraocular lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber
Vt{C80n&N intraocular lenses.Two hundred and eleven of these operated
-a(f- eyes (85%) had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or
,t5X'sY L better, the legal requirement for a driver’s license.Twentyseven
M iIH&z (11%) had visual acuity of less than 6/18 (moderate
6W$ #`N> vision impairment). Complications of cataract surgery
-
'+|r] caused reduced vision in four of the 27 eyes (15%), or 1.9%
X&DuX %x0 of operated eyes. Three of these four eyes had undergone
G3&ES3L intracapsular cataract extraction and the fourth eye had an
+:1ay
^YI opaque posterior capsule. No one had bilateral vision
\W;~[-"# impairment as a result of cataract surgery. Surprisingly, no
ElAJR4'{*i particular demographic factors (such as age, gender, rural
J411bIxD+q residence, occupation, employment status, health insurance
3=~"<f
l status, ethnicity) were related to the presence of unoperated
0?l|A1I% cataract.
H4 Y7p Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of cataract is
M`\c'|i/ quite high, no particular subgroup is systematically underserviced
!3Fj`Oh in terms of cataract surgery. Overall, the results of
g.aNITjP cataract surgery are very good, with the majority of eyes
9oS \{[x. achieving driving vision following cataract extraction.
3P Twpq1 Key words: cataract extraction, health planning, health
0X+Jj/-ge services accessibility, prevalence
pcNVtp'V INTRODUCTION
W]5kM~Q@ Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and, in
b,5H|$nLu Australia, cataract extractions account for the majority of all
VBR@f<2L ophthalmic procedures.1 Over the period 1985–94, the rate
ba|x?kz of cataract surgery in Australia was twice as high as would be
jo=XxA expected from the growth in the elderly population.1
?
Ldw\ Although there have been a number of studies reporting
#O]F5JB the prevalence of cataract in various populations,2–6 there is
:Oo little information about determinants of cataract surgery in
&q1(v3cOO the population. A previous survey of Australian ophthalmologists
]g3&gw showed that patient concern and lifestyle, rather
O]w &uim than visual acuity itself, are the primary factors for referral
AQ. Y-'\t for cataract surgery.7 This supports prior research which has
lW'6rat shown that visual acuity is not a strong predictor of need for
ttLChL cataract surgery.8,9 Elsewhere, socioeconomic status has
@Qd6a:-6 been shown to be related to cataract surgery rates.10
\l_
RyMi To appropriately plan health care services, information is
;3Fgy8T needed about the prevalence of age-related cataract in the
VJD$nh
#M5 community as well as the factors associated with cataract
L':;Vv~- surgery. The purpose of this study is to quantify the prevalence
@z$V(}(O^ of any cataract in Australia, to describe the factors
Rg<y8~|'} related to unoperated cataract in the community and to
!40{1U&@a` describe the visual outcomes of cataract surgery.
e{O
mW METHODS
/#9O{) Study population
wke$ Details about the study methodology for the Visual
T{]Tb= Impairment Project have been published previously.11
)8ctNpQt Briefly, cluster sampling within three strata was employed to
$q
DH recruit subjects aged 40 years and over to participate.
B^U5=L[:p Within the Melbourne Statistical Division, nine pairs of
?F*gFW_k census collector districts were randomly selected. Fourteen
s
ZkQJ-> nursing homes within a 5 km radius of these nine test sites
g Gg8O? Z were randomly chosen to recruit nursing home residents.
LB? evewu Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (2000) 28, 77–82
ZNFn^iuQ Original Article
>~TLgq* Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia
j !&g:{ e Catherine A McCarty PhD, MPH, Mukesh B Nanjan PhD, Hugh R Taylor MD
7\JRHw Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
U;OJ.a9 n Correspondence: Dr Cathy McCarty MPH, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne,
$"J+3mO Victoria 3002, Australia. Email:
cathy@cera.unimelb.edu.au I6YN&9Y 78 McCarty et al.
Da_g3z Finally, four pairs of census collector districts in four rural
S`K8e^] Victorian communities were randomly selected to recruit rural
qQ/j+ residents. A household census was conducted to identify
b,D+1' eligible residents aged 40 years and over who had been a
DDN#w<# resident at that address for at least 6 months. At the time of
-nN }
8&l the household census, basic information about age, sex,
rxIfatp^ country of birth, language spoken at home, education, use of
u` `FD corrective spectacles and use of eye care services was collected.
pHni"iT Eligible residents were then invited to attend a local
/0!6;PC< examination site for a more detailed interview and examination.
TaG'? The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian
+aEE(u6%E@ Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.
m-5Dbx!j Assessment of cataract
puL1A?Y8UM A standardized ophthalmic examination was performed after
t 4{{5U'\ pupil dilatation with one drop of 10% phenylephrine
,X+mXtg. hydrochloride. Lens opacities were graded clinically at the
NL0X =i time of the examination and subsequently from photos using
<{3VK the Wilmer cataract photo-grading system.12 Cortical and
M!,$i posterior subcapsular (PSC) opacities were assessed on
+<Uc42i7n retroillumination and measured as the proportion (in 1/16)
'S)}mG_ of pupil circumference occupied by opacity. For this analysis,
B+*F?k[ cortical cataract was defined as 4/16 or greater opacity,
C*/d%eHD PSC cataract was defined as opacity equal to or greater than
o\g",O4- 1 mm2 and nuclear cataract was defined as opacity equal to
y_Bmd or greater than Wilmer standard 2,12 independent of visual
v
/G, acuity. Examples of the minimum opacities defined as cortical,
x
a7x
2]~- nuclear and PSC cataract are presented in Figure 1.
FlrLXTx0 Bilateral congenital cataracts or cataracts secondary to
BQ)z
m intraocular inflammation or trauma were excluded from the
U5Q `r7 analysis. Two cases of bilateral secondary cataract and eight
@L=xY[&{ cases of bilateral congenital cataract were excluded from the
P,j)m\| analyses.
ql2>C.k3L A Topcon® SL5 photo slit-lamp (Topcon America Corp.,
bEMD2ABm Paramus, NJ, USA) with a 0.1 mm slit beam of 9.0 mm in
]Yp;8#:1 height set to an incident angle of 30° was used for examinations.
?Sh]m/WZd[ Ektachrome® 200 ASA colour slide film (Eastman
aHXd1\6m Kodak Company, Rochester, NY, USA) was used to photograph
{Ymn_ the nuclear opacities. The cortical opacities were
f]qPxRw photographed with an Oxford® retroillumination camera
(c axl^= (Marcher Enterprises Ltd, Hereford, UK) and T-MAX® 400
HKP<=<8/O film (Eastman Kodak). Photographs were graded separately
,*+F*:o(m by two research assistants and discrepancies were adjudicated
cD YKvrPY by an independent reviewer. Any discrepancies
Z0`Bn5 between the clinical grades and the photograph grades were
O
8wR#(/ resolved. Except in cases where photographs were missing,
x<>#G~- the photograph grades were used in the analyses. Photograph
?R(fxx grades were available for 4301 (84%) for cortical
]t=m cataract, 4147 (81%) for nuclear cataract and 4303 (84%)
z|Q)^ for PSC cataract. Cataract status was classified according to
#e}Q|pF the severity of the opacity in the worse eye.
eBFsKOtu Assessment of risk factors
9f\Lon4
lX A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain information
?xWO>#/ about education, employment and ethnic background.11
bE74Ui Specific information was elicited on the occurrence, duration
08n2TL;EsX and treatment of a number of medical conditions,
h8&VaJ including ocular trauma, arthritis, diabetes, gout, hypertension
_/;vsQB and mental illness. Information about the use, dose and
jdiH9]&U duration of tobacco, alcohol, analgesics and steriods were
ZP
&q7HK\ collected, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to
M4w,J2_8MK determine current consumption of dietary sources of antioxidants
"oz
: & #+ and use of vitamin supplements.
J: vq)G\F Data management and statistical analysis
sG7G$G*ta! Data were collected either by direct computer entry with a
uD0T()J.P5 questionnaire programmed in Paradox© (Carel Corporation,
wj!YYBH Ottawa, Canada) with internal consistency checks, or
^hr^f;N on self-coding forms. Open-ended responses were coded at
rE$0a-d2B a later time. Data that were entered on the self-coded forms
|J-Osi were entered into a computer with double data entry and
$9YAq/#Q reconciliation of any inconsistencies. Data range and consistency
{k*rD!tT checks were performed on the entire data set.
S3 12#X(% SAS© version 6.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina) was
c|m*<
i employed for statistical analyses.
@( p9} Ninety-five per cent confidence limits around the agespecific
)-VpDW!%_ rates were calculated according to Cochran13 to
{P')$f) account for the effect of the cluster sampling. Ninety-five
/|Z_Dy per cent confidence limits around age-standardized rates
;O8'vp were calculated according to Breslow and Day.14 The strataspecific
\ GYrPf$ data were weighted according to the 1996
tf[)Q:| Australian Bureau of Statistics census data15 to reflect the
4
1G}d+ cataract prevalence in the entire Victorian population.
e_=TkG1E6 Univariate analyses with Student’s t-tests and chi-squared
8! eYax tests were first employed to evaluate risk factors for unoperated
FxU a5n cataract. Any factors with P < 0.10 were then fitted
42$ pvw< into a backwards stepwise logistic regression model. For the
W% @r Figure 1. Minimum levels of cortical (a), nuclear (b), and posterior subcapsular (c) cataract.
4}4 cA\B:n final multivariate models, P < 0.05 was considered statistically
#mKF)W significant. Design effect was assessed through the use
OFe-e(c1 of cluster-specific models and multivariate models. The
~(*2:9*0 design effect was assumed to be additive and an adjustment
W{Uz#o
made in the variance by adding the variance associated with
J4?i\wD: the design effect prior to constructing the 95% confidence
6a} limits.
cl04fqX RESULTS
|P0!dt7sQ Study population
ZSWZz8 A total of 3271 (83%) of the Melbourne residents, 403
n)|{tb^ (90%) Melbourne nursing home residents, and 1473 (92%)
[[$dPa9 rural residents participated. In general, non-participants did
=j~BAS*" not differ from participants.16 The study population was
fHK.q({Qc representative of the Victorian population and Australia as
A=W:}sz
t] a whole.
T<oDLJA\ The Melbourne residents ranged in age from 40 to
&NKb
},~ 98 years (mean = 59) and 1511 (46%) were male. The
t)|~8xp
P Melbourne nursing home residents ranged in age from 46 to
JR_%v=n~x 101 years (mean = 82) and 85 (21%) were men. The rural
J6J"> residents ranged in age from 40 to 103 years (mean = 60)
`G0k)eW and 701 (47.5%) were men.
9;7Gzr6A" Prevalence of cataract and prior cataract surgery
j*\oK@ As would be expected, the rate of any cataract increases
6l'J!4*qY dramatically with age (Table 1). The weighted rate of any
$J8g)cS cataract in Victoria was 21.5% (95% CL 18.1, 24.9).
!
\VzX Although the rates varied somewhat between the three
]"/SU6#
4: strata, they were not significantly different as the 95% confidence
1etT." limits overlapped. The per cent of cataractous eyes
ZIN1y;dJ with best-corrected visual acuity of less than 6/12 was 12.5%
!RP0W (65/520) for cortical cataract, 18% for nuclear cataract
Mz6\T'rC (97/534) and 14.4% (27/187) for PSC cataract. Cataract
7Kf surgery also rose dramatically with age. The overall
oam$9 q weighted rate of prior cataract surgery in Victoria was
jG~-V<& 3.79% (95% CL 2.97, 4.60) (Table 2).
E{0e5. { Risk factors for unoperated cataract
+ -uQ] ^n Cases of cataract that had not been removed were classified
5,-g^o7 as unoperated cataract. Risk factor analyses for unoperated
yAAV,?:o[ cataract were not performed with the nursing home residents
#SKC>MGz as information about risk factor exposure was not
4> uN
H5 available for this cohort. The following factors were assessed
XV/7K
" in relation to unoperated cataract: age, sex, residence
7]} I (urban/rural), language spoken at home (a measure of ethnic
W[I$([ integration), country of birth, parents’ country of birth (a
x <a}*8" measure of ethnicity), years since migration, education, use
\=D+7'3 of ophthalmic services, use of optometric services, private
4[i 3ckFT, health insurance status, duration of distance glasses use,
*^%+PQ glaucoma, age-related maculopathy and employment status.
:pM)I5MN[ In this cross sectional study it was not possible to assess the
0$ON`Vsu| level of visual acuity that would predict a patient’s having
ZJF"Yo cataract surgery, as visual acuity data prior to cataract
X1d{7H8A2 surgery were not available.
w[F})u]E The significant risk factors for unoperated cataract in univariate
O}%ES AB analyses were related to: whether a participant had
+.&P$`;TZj ever seen an optometrist, seen an ophthalmologist or been
-.r"|\1X diagnosed with glaucoma; and participants’ employment
D_?Tj status (currently employed) and age. These significant
1 $1>cuu factors were placed in a backwards stepwise logistic regression
;e*okYM model. The factors that remained significantly related
Ux1j +}y to unoperated cataract were whether participants had ever
qSlo)aP seen an ophthalmologist, seen an optometrist and been
`y61Bz diagnosed with glaucoma. None of the demographic factors
xe^M2$clb\ were associated with unoperated cataract in the multivariate
XlD=<$Nk7 model.
1TX3/]: The per cent of participants with unoperated cataract
[<5/s$,i who said that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with
p7
!y# Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia 79
[Rub Table 1. Prevalence of any cataracta (excluding previous cataract surgery) by age, gender and cohort
+L"F] _? Age group Sex Urban Rural Nursing home Weighted total
+'SL5d* (years) (%) (%) (%)
X3 1%T" 40–49 Male 2.56 4.04 0.00 3.00 (1.91, 4.08)
RhKDQGdd Female 2.61 1.70 0.00 2.36 (1.61, 3.10)
G~DHNO6 50–59 Male 7.69 6.94 0.00 7.47 (5.80, 9.15)
)b (+= Female 6.67 7.56 0.00 6.92 (5.60, 8.24)
7D,nxx(` 60–69 Male 20.7 25.0 10.0 22.0 (18.1, 26.0)
WY QVe_<z: Female 27.9 35.7 37.5 30.3 (26.0, 34.7)
Y'jgp Vt 70–79 Male 43.1 58.7 39.1 48.1 (41.2, 55.1)
~CHcbEWk)W Female 58.6 66.2 55.6 61.0 (56.0, 65.9)
n:B){'S 80–89 Male 74.0 89.3 92.0 79.3 (72.3, 86.3)
y`8U0TE3R Female 91.9 97.0 80.2 92.6 (86.4, 98.8)
I$S*elveG 90 + Male 100.0 100.0 75.0 98.8 (96.2, 100.0)
Xs|d#WbX Female 100.0 100.0 93.8 98.6 (97.0, 100.0)
\D'mo Age-standardized
N
%'(8%; (95% CL) Combined 19.7 (16.3, 23.1) 23.2 (16.1, 30.2) 16.5 (2.06, 30.9) 21.5 (18.1, 25.0)
v FQ]>nX aCortical > 4/16, nuclear > standard 2, posterior subcapsular > 1 mm2
AV|:v3 their current vision was 30% (290/683), compared with 27%
{>vgtk J (26/95) of participants with prior cataract surgery (chisquared,
k"%JyO8Y 1 d.f. = 0.25, P = 0.62).
RhmkpboucC Outcomes of cataract surgery
o3\^9-jmp Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had undergone prior
y{<js!au cataract surgery. Of these 249 operated eyes, 49 (20%) were
0}`.Z03fy left aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber intraocular
!-n*]C lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber intraocular
}6pr.-J
lenses. The rate of capsulotomy in the eyes with intact
K@DFu5 posterior capsules was 36% (73/202). Fifteen per cent of
BMQ4i&kF| eyes (17/114) with a clear posterior capsule had bestcorrected
4,W,E4 7 visual acuity of less than 6/12 compared with 43%
_1O .{O of eyes (6/14) with opaque capsules, and 15% of eyes
**z^aH?B2 (11/73) with prior capsulotomies (chi-squared, 2 d.f. = 7.21,
pzjNi=vhd P = 0.027).
z79oj\&[ The percentage of eyes with best-corrected visual acuity
OAFxf,b of 6/12 or better was 96% (302/314) for eyes without
k,'MmAz cataract, 88% (1417/1609) for eyes with prevalent cataract
q&3(yhx and 85% (211/249) for eyes with operated cataract (chisquared,
Z8/.I
2 d.f. = 22.3), P < 0.001). Twenty-seven of the
GutiqVP:B operated eyes (11%) had visual acuities of less than 6/18
5+Tx01) (moderate vision impairment) (Fig. 2). A cause of this
hT_Q_1, moderate visual impairment (but not the only cause) in four
LkK&<z (15%) eyes was secondary to cataract surgery. Three of these
G#f3
WpD four eyes had undergone intracapsular cataract extraction
T*Ge67 and the fourth eye had an opaque posterior capsule. No one
9 `bLQd had bilateral vision impairment as a result of their cataract
Ktt(l-e + surgery.
Eb6cL`#N DISCUSSION
5kWzD'!^ To our knowledge, this is the first paper to systematically
`'P&={p8 assess the prevalence of current cataract, previous cataract
;gu4~LQw surgery, predictors of unoperated cataract and the outcomes
EBk-qd
a} of cataract surgery in a population-based sample. The Visual
w8N1-D42 Impairment Project is unique in that the sampling frame and
50A\Y)i_mZ high response rate have ensured that the study population is
@q>#]8 representative of Australians aged 40 years and over. Therefore,
lgK5E*^ these data can be used to plan age-related cataract
K5^zu`19 services throughout Australia.
n"}*C|(k We found the rate of any cataract in those over the age
5 A5t of 40 years to be 22%. Although relatively high, this rate is
,Csjb1 significantly less than was reported in a number of previous
PA*k| studies,2,4,6 with the exception of the Casteldaccia Eye
U7g,@/Qx Study.5 However, it is difficult to compare rates of cataract
(Uu5$q( between studies because of different methodologies and
=;Co0Q` cataract definitions employed in the various studies, as well
u#y)+A2&! as the different age structures of the study populations.
Z!fbc#L6
Other studies have used less conservative definitions of
#)48dW!n cataract, thus leading to higher rates of cataract as defined.
Oi$1ma xT In most large epidemiologic studies of cataract, visual acuity
X
Dyo=A] has not been included in the definition of cataract.
&
@_PY Therefore, the prevalence of cataract may not reflect the
ci:|x = actual need for cataract surgery in the community.
k
SCpr0c 80 McCarty et al.
:f_oN3F p Table 2. Prevalence of previous cataract by age, gender and cohort
FzCXA=m Age group Gender Urban Rural Nursing home Weighted total
^'Rs`e (years) (%) (%) (%)
GiK,+M"d 40–49 Male 1.14 0.00 0.00 0.80 (0.00, 1.81)
Qgf|obrEi6 Female 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (
d1t_o2 50–59 Male 0.68 0.58 0.00 0.65 (0.13, 1.17)
7(C)vtEO: Female 0.57 0.00 0.00 0.41 (0.00, 1.00)
oOubqx 60–69 Male 2.12 7.59 0.00 3.80 (1.41, 6.19)
U#w0 E G Female 2.11 3.51 0.00 2.54 (1.81, 3.26)
lZ2gCZ 70–79 Male 8.22 9.85 8.70 8.75 (6.38, 11.1)
[TqX"@4NS Female 7.21 7.86 7.02 7.41 (5.36, 9.46)
Nr)DU.f 80–89 Male 25.0 30.0 14.3 26.2 (17.0, 35.4)
>f-RzQ k Female 27.9 25.6 18.3 26.7 (20.2, 33.3)
2VX9FDrnk 90 + Male 0.00 16.7 66.7 9.19 (0.00, 21.5)
DR]oK_ Female 58.3 100.0 26.9 63.1 (44.4, 81.8)
5
/oW/2" Age-standardized
)S`Yl;oL (95% CL) Combined 3.31 (2.70, 3.93) 4.36 (2.67, 6.06) 2.26 (0.82, 3.70) 3.79 (2.97, 4.60)
^ u0y<kItX Figure 2. Visual acuity in eyes that had undergone cataract
K9VP@[zbJ surgery, n = 249. h, Presenting; j, best-corrected.
10r!p:D Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia 81
| "M1+(k7 The weighted prevalence of prior cataract surgery in the
2lN0Sf@ Visual Impairment Project (3.6%) was similar to the crude
Y-+Kf5_[ rate in the Beaver Dam Eye Study4 (3.1%), but less than the
8 K)GH:a crude rate in the Blue Mountains Eye Study6 (6.0%).
~]<VEji However, the age-standardized rate in the Blue Mountains
_PwPLSg Eye Study (standardized to the age distribution of the urban
gF2
93Ez Visual Impairment Project cohort) was found to be less than
/Zx"BSu the Visual Impairment Project (standardized rate = 1.36%,
*] >R 95% CL 1.25, 1.47). The incidence of cataract surgery in
N6S@e\* Australia has exceeded population growth.1 This is due,
d}Y#l}!E6 perhaps, to advances in surgical techniques and lens
dPV<
:uO implants that have changed the risk–benefit ratio.
={6vShG)m The Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable
P~x4h{~Gd Blindness, sponsored by the World Health Organization,
MA%g-} states that cataract surgical services should be provided that
XGYsTquSe ‘have a high success rate in terms of visual outcome and
ggfCfn improved quality of life’,17 although the ‘high success rate’ is
<@4V G not defined. Population- and clinic-based studies conducted
%Br1b6 V in the United States have demonstrated marked improvement
dV*9bDkM/ in visual acuity following cataract surgery.18–20 We
@|OGxQoC found that 85% of eyes that had undergone cataract extraction
zpNt[F?~1 had visual acuity of 6/12 or better. Previously, we have
Go]y{9+(7 shown that participants with prevalent cataract in this
oJE<}~_k cohort are more likely to express dissatisfaction with their
w-@6qMJ current vision than participants without cataract or participants
?fc<3q" with prior cataract surgery.21 In a national study in the
QMDkkNK United States, researchers found that the change in patients’
9c0 ratings of their vision difficulties and satisfaction with their
.H&XPW vision after cataract surgery were more highly related to
!9V;
8g their change in visual functioning score than to their change
+lf`Dd3 in visual acuity.19 Furthermore, improvement in visual function
- xyY6bxL has been shown to be associated with improvement in
d5=&