It’s often said that eyes are the windows to the soul; but can they also be the windows to the heart? Researchers from the Centre for Eye Research in Australia at the University of Melbourne have discovered that cataracts can be a predictor of death from heart disease. 

The correlation is alarming researchers, patients, and advocates alike, as both cataracts and heart disease are linked to the aging process, along with other conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Read more about what the research team discovered, how they did it, and what their findings could mean for future management and treatment of glaucoma. 

Scope and Methodology of the Study

The research team, led by Dr. Mingguang He, examined the medical information of over 15,000 American patients aged 40 and older collected between 1998 and 2008. 

Nearly 10% of the patients (over 2,000) said they had been diagnosed with cataracts and had received surgery to treat their condition. 

An 11-year follow-up revealed that 4,000 patients in the study had died. After they considered certain socioeconomic and health factors, the research team discovered that death was linked to cataract surgery across the board. They specifically found: 

• All-cause deaths were 13% higher among participants who received cataract surgery. 
• Deaths from heart disease were 36% higher among cataract surgery recipients. 

According to Dr. He and his colleagues, two possible factors in this correlation include oxidative stress (an imbalance in natural oxidation processes affecting cells) and depression. Both of these issues can raise the risk of cardiac disease and also influence the development of cataracts. 

The Takeaway

Clinicians are urging patients and providers to use these findings to better empower themselves and their patients: “Patients should use the results of this study as a reminder of the importance of having regular eye exams with your eye doctor, especially as you get older or if you have certain medical conditions,” says Dr. Matthew Gorski, an ophthalmologist at Northwell Health in Great Neck, NY. 

For their own part, study authors say they found  “found significant associations of self-reported cataract surgery” with a raised risk of death from any cause and from heart-related causes in particular. 

*Mundell, E and Priedy, R. (2021, Oct. 26) Cataracts Tied to Higher Odds of Death From Heart Disease