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The image on the left represents clear vision and the image on the right represents seeing through cataracts.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens that can interfere with your vision and your quality of life. If you have a cataract, your vision may become blurry, cloudy and you may experience increased glare. Some people describe having cataracts as looking at the world through a foggy window.
If your cataract symptoms are mild, and not interfering with your day-to-day life very much, you might just need a new eyeglass prescription to help you see better, according to OCB cataract and cornea specialist Ramy Rizkalla, MD. However, your eye doctor may recommend that you consider cataract surgery – the only treatment for cataracts — when cataracts keep you from doing things you want or need to do.
“The goal of cataract surgery is to improve performance in your daily life,” Dr. Rizkalla said. “A common example would be to improve your ability to drive at night by reducing glare and improving your ability to see in dimly lit environments.”
Over the years, cataract surgery has become a less invasive procedure with a short recovery period and improved visual outcomes for most patients.
“Many patients’ initial response after surgery pertains to colors. Due to the age-related clouding of the lens, colors become dimmer; whites become yellowed,” Dr. Rizkalla said. “The removal of the cloudy lens makes the world a brighter and more vivid place where the perception of true colors is restored.”
These visual improvements may explain why cataract surgery has become associated with a few unexpected side benefits. These include decreased risk of falls, longer healthy lifespan and a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Decreased Risk of Falls
Visual impairment of any kind increases the risk of falls, which are a significant public health problem among older people worldwide. Falls can result in non-fatal injuries that cause disability or death. They can lead to reduced activity as well as physical and emotional decline.
Research published in the Journal of Ophthalmology in 2021 found that cataract surgery reduces the frequency of falls by 34% in older patients with cataracts in both eyes.[i]
Longer Life
Cataract surgery may extend a healthy lifespan. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Cambridge, found that Americans 65 and older are living longer and with fewer disabilities and that cataract surgery is one of two medical advances responsible for the increase in healthy life expectancy. [ii]The other is better medical treatment for cardiovascular disease. Between 1992 and 2008, disability free life expectancy increased by 1.8 years. With respect to vision, the study found that due to cataract surgery, fewer people had vision impairments in the late 2000s than in the early 1990s and that people who receive cataract surgery were less likely to experience disability.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Research suggests cataract surgery may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published by JAMA Internal Medicine in December 2021,[iii] was based on data of more than 3,000 older adults who were followed by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute. The study found that those who underwent cataract surgery had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of developing dementia from Alzheimer’s disease and other causes compared to older adults who did not undergo cataract surgery. This lowered risk persisted for at least a decade after surgery.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a cataract or any changes in your vision, it is important to schedule a visit with your eye doctor.
[i] Gutiérrez-Robledo LM, Villasís-Keever MA, Avila-Avila A, Medina-Campos RH, Castrejón-Pérez RC, García-Peña C. Effect of Cataract Surgery on Frequency of Falls among Older Persons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Ophthalmol. 2021 Mar 15;2021:2169571. doi: 10.1155/2021/2169571. PMID: 33815834; PMCID: PMC7987466.
[ii] “Understanding the Improvement in Disability Free Life Expectancy in the U.S Elderly Population,” National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER Paper Series, June 2016
[iii] Lee CS, Gibbons LE, Lee AY, et al. Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia. JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(2):134–141. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990
