ABSTRACT
dt0(04 Purpose: To quantify the prevalence of cataract, the outcomes
K#Xl)h}y7 of cataract surgery and the factors related to
i|0!yID0@ unoperated cataract in Australia.
7[0<,O6Q Methods: Participants were recruited from the Visual
>U.7>K
V& Impairment Project: a cluster, stratified sample of more than
(G~M E> 5000 Victorians aged 40 years and over. At examination
]x66/O\0u sites interviews, clinical examinations and lens photography
Ce~Pms] were performed. Cataract was defined in participants who
]z]=?;ty% had: had previous cataract surgery, cortical cataract greater
ix38|G9U than 4/16, nuclear greater than Wilmer standard 2, or
:QF`Orb!^ posterior subcapsular greater than 1 mm2.
XtE O ) Results: The participant group comprised 3271 Melbourne
11Uu5e!. residents, 403 Melbourne nursing home residents and 1473
KO/#t~ rural residents.The weighted rate of any cataract in Victoria
Od~e*gA8 was 21.5%. The overall weighted rate of prior cataract
RB6TM surgery was 3.79%. Two hundred and forty-nine eyes had
(=j/"Mb had prior cataract surgery. Of these 249 procedures, 49
a
p( PI?]X (20%) were aphakic, 6 (2.4%) had anterior chamber
a'?LC) ^ intraocular lenses and 194 (78%) had posterior chamber
;2[OI intraocular lenses.Two hundred and eleven of these operated
n'?]_z< eyes (85%) had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or
~fs}
J better, the legal requirement for a driver’s license.Twentyseven
5k?xBk=< (11%) had visual acuity of less than 6/18 (moderate
]
.Ra=^q vision impairment). Complications of cataract surgery
We*uZ?+ caused reduced vision in four of the 27 eyes (15%), or 1.9%
f(\S+4 of operated eyes. Three of these four eyes had undergone
U lCw{:#F intracapsular cataract extraction and the fourth eye had an
xZ* B}O{{H opaque posterior capsule. No one had bilateral vision
4q?R 3\e; impairment as a result of cataract surgery. Surprisingly, no
~mZ[@Z particular demographic factors (such as age, gender, rural
69t6lB#;! residence, occupation, employment status, health insurance
1;!dTh
status, ethnicity) were related to the presence of unoperated
c Y+n 6k5 cataract.
)`2ncb
Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of cataract is
'}OAl quite high, no particular subgroup is systematically underserviced
uz:r'+v in terms of cataract surgery. Overall, the results of
BAG#YZB cataract surgery are very good, with the majority of eyes
|x=(}g achieving driving vision following cataract extraction.
PG@C5Rnu Key words: cataract extraction, health planning, health
Dc 84^>l services accessibility, prevalence
5A%Uv* INTRODUCTION
F3 g$b,RMH Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and, in
-zZb]8\E Australia, cataract extractions account for the majority of all
3ly]DTbz ophthalmic procedures.1 Over the period 1985–94, the rate
^* CKx of cataract surgery in Australia was twice as high as would be
9lkl-b6xG expected from the growth in the elderly population.1
)EcfEym.> Although there have been a number of studies reporting
S2 P9C" the prevalence of cataract in various populations,2–6 there is
mZ0_^ little information about determinants of cataract surgery in
D+w? the population. A previous survey of Australian ophthalmologists
,,g: x showed that patient concern and lifestyle, rather
q9\(<<f| than visual acuity itself, are the primary factors for referral
E{\T?dk1$ for cataract surgery.7 This supports prior research which has
?\<Kb|Q shown that visual acuity is not a strong predictor of need for
n<eK
\w cataract surgery.8,9 Elsewhere, socioeconomic status has
j#l1KO^y been shown to be related to cataract surgery rates.10
"y ;0}9]n1 To appropriately plan health care services, information is
^a| needed about the prevalence of age-related cataract in the
R[#B|
$ community as well as the factors associated with cataract
&O5&pet surgery. The purpose of this study is to quantify the prevalence
dO9bxHMnM of any cataract in Australia, to describe the factors
D+h`Z]"| related to unoperated cataract in the community and to
v5FfxDvw describe the visual outcomes of cataract surgery.
;Wn0-`_1, METHODS
WpkCF
p Study population
N*KM6j Details about the study methodology for the Visual
MEtKFC|p Impairment Project have been published previously.11
j k])S~xl? Briefly, cluster sampling within three strata was employed to
`R-VJR 2" recruit subjects aged 40 years and over to participate.
aOEW$% Within the Melbourne Statistical Division, nine pairs of
+1eb@bX census collector districts were randomly selected. Fourteen
x139Ckn nursing homes within a 5 km radius of these nine test sites
;v~xL!uQ were randomly chosen to recruit nursing home residents.
p(yHB([8 Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (2000) 28, 77–82
Mu_'C$zA Original Article
d81[hT}q Operated and unoperated cataract in Australia
C1-Jj_XQ. Catherine A McCarty PhD, MPH, Mukesh B Nanjan PhD, Hugh R Taylor MD
z
bDK$g6 Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
:eSwXDy& n Correspondence: Dr Cathy McCarty MPH, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne,
Emv9l~mIu Victoria 3002, Australia. Email:
cathy@cera.unimelb.edu.au ~tB9
kLFG 78 McCarty et al.
= Fwzm^}6 Finally, four pairs of census collector districts in four rural
Jx8DVjy Victorian communities were randomly selected to recruit rural
V|;os residents. A household census was conducted to identify
%vU*4mH eligible residents aged 40 years and over who had been a
lR^W*w4y resident at that address for at least 6 months. At the time of
rTeADu_vf the household census, basic information about age, sex,
E{'\(6z_ country of birth, language spoken at home, education, use of
f/i[?
gw corrective spectacles and use of eye care services was collected.
q94*2@KV Eligible residents were then invited to attend a local
J 77*Ue^ examination site for a more detailed interview and examination.
4Gsq)i17j The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian
l
i2/"~l Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.
^NO;A=9b[ Assessment of cataract
2/l4,x A standardized ophthalmic examination was performed after
H&0S pupil dilatation with one drop of 10% phenylephrine
ns&(g^ hydrochloride. Lens opacities were graded clinically at the
NqN9 time of the examination and subsequently from photos using
''CowI the Wilmer cataract photo-grading system.12 Cortical and
PML84*K - posterior subcapsular (PSC) opacities were assessed on
|bjLmGb retroillumination and measured as the proportion (in 1/16)
s;:quM of pupil circumference occupied by opacity. For this analysis,
#EO],!JM cortical cataract was defined as 4/16 or greater opacity,
-257g; PSC cataract was defined as opacity equal to or greater than
A
Zv| |8p 1 mm2 and nuclear cataract was defined as opacity equal to
,+RoJwi m or greater than Wilmer standard 2,12 independent of visual
A|P
`\_ acuity. Examples of the minimum opacities defined as cortical,
V;]U] nuclear and PSC cataract are presented in Figure 1.
6 bt{j Bilateral congenital cataracts or cataracts secondary to
Z/I`XPmk intraocular inflammation or trauma were excluded from the
IeJ@G) analysis. Two cases of bilateral secondary cataract and eight
&/lmg
!6 cases of bilateral congenital cataract were excluded from the
JLV?n,nF analyses.
hin6cac A Topcon® SL5 photo slit-lamp (Topcon America Corp.,
tqK}KL Paramus, NJ, USA) with a 0.1 mm slit beam of 9.0 mm in
eR5+1b height set to an incident angle of 30° was used for examinations.
" qrL:, Ektachrome® 200 ASA colour slide film (Eastman
4$b9<:M_ Kodak Company, Rochester, NY, USA) was used to photograph
7j%sM& the nuclear opacities. The cortical opacities were
[0hZg photographed with an Oxford® retroillumination camera
@GE:<'_:{ (Marcher Enterprises Ltd, Hereford, UK) and T-MAX® 400
@7<m.?A! film (Eastman Kodak). Photographs were graded separately
g].hL by two research assistants and discrepancies were adjudicated
w'Q2Czso by an independent reviewer. Any discrepancies
_fANl}Mf: between the clinical grades and the photograph grades were
1Du9N[2'P resolved. Except in cases where photographs were missing,
BXo9s~5Q the photograph grades were used in the analyses. Photograph
S~ 3| grades were available for 4301 (84%) for cortical
VR0#" cataract, 4147 (81%) for nuclear cataract and 4303 (84%)
o M#S.
f? for PSC cataract. Cataract status was classified according to
V/7?]?!xu the severity of the opacity in the worse eye.
$U/_8^6B0 Assessment of risk factors
b(H)8#C A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain information
yw)Ztg) about education, employment and ethnic background.11
;M Z@2CO Specific information was elicited on the occurrence, duration
xF3H\`{4x and treatment of a number of medical conditions,
0,`$ KbV\ including ocular trauma, arthritis, diabetes, gout, hypertension
OT5'c l and mental illness. Information about the use, dose and
TID0x/j"K5 duration of tobacco, alcohol, analgesics and steriods were
o(@F37r{? collected, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to
>h
m<$3 determine current consumption of dietary sources of antioxidants
+(<}`!9M* and use of vitamin supplements.
v+Q#O[ Data management and statistical analysis
lC i_G3C Data were collected either by direct computer entry with a
/aB9pD+% questionnaire programmed in Paradox© (Carel Corporation,
cIgicp}U Ottawa, Canada) with internal consistency checks, or
Ma3Hn on self-coding forms. Open-ended responses were coded at
6gfdXVN5 a later time. Data that were entered on the self-coded forms
'HV}Tr were entered into a computer with double data entry and
c};Qr@vpo reconciliation of any inconsistencies. Data range and consistency
JZQ$
*K checks were performed on the entire data set.
lA<IcW SAS© version 6.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina) was
'm=9&?0S employed for statistical analyses.
'4A8\&lQO Ninety-five per cent confidence limits around the agespecific
&7X0 ;< rates were calculated according to Cochran13 to
C6
eo n4Ut account for the effect of the cluster sampling. Ninety-five
Sk$XC per cent confidence limits around age-standardized rates
QE5
85s
5
were calculated according to Breslow and Day.14 The strataspecific
$sO}l data were weighted according to the 1996
x9HA^Rj4- Australian Bureau of Statistics census data15 to reflect the
8X]j;Rb cataract prevalence in the entire Victorian population.
E4[\lX$J Univariate analyses with Student’s t-tests and chi-squared
<96ih$5D1 tests were first employed to evaluate risk factors for unoperated
Bd"7F{H cataract. Any factors with P < 0.10 were then fitted
fK^FD&sF into a backwards stepwise logistic regression model. For the
$(}kau Figure 1. Minimum levels of cortical (a), nuclear (b), and posterior subcapsular (c) cataract.
eeb8v:4 final multivariate models, P < 0.05 was considered statistically
(s{%XB:K significant. Design effect was assessed through the use
a@,tf'Sr of cluster-specific models and multivariate models. The
Ye!= design effect was assumed to be additive and an adjustment
tQJ@//C\z made in the variance by adding the variance associated with
^O\tN\g;c the design effect prior to constructing the 95% confidence
VV]{R' limits.
sS(^7GARa RESULTS
=$Q3!bJ Study population
#>ci!4Gz=Z A total of 3271 (83%) of the Melbourne residents, 403
^"+cJ) (90%) Melbourne nursing home residents, and 1473 (92%)
i$:CGUb rural residents participated. In general, non-participants did
Punbw\9!d, not differ from participants.16 The study population was
B{1+0k representative of the Victorian population and Australia as
pdnL~sv a whole.
n7<<}wcV The Melbourne residents ranged in age from 40 to
cB<0~& 98 years (mean = 59) and 1511 (46%) were male. The
9y]$c1 Melbourne nursing home residents ranged in age from 46 to
`O}.
.N]g 101 years (mean = 82) and 85 (21%) were men. The rural
"
31C
8 residents ranged in age from 40 to 103 years (mean = 60)
p-KuCobz] and 701 (47.5%) were men.
'OX6eY5
Prevalence of cataract and prior cataract surgery
oHi&Z$#!n As would be expected, the rate of any cataract increases
|+`hSA dramatically with age (Table 1). The weighted rate of any
ir,Zc\C cataract in Victoria was 21.5% (95% CL 18.1, 24.9).
m_Fw;s/9 Although the rates varied somewhat between the three
bh7 1Zu strata, they were not significantly different as the 95% confidence
Ca1)>1Vz limits overlapped. The per cent of cataractous eyes
&