News

New study finds that those who have cataract surgery to correct visual impairment live longer than those who do not have the surgery. 

Previous studies have shown that older persons with cataract-related visual impairment likely have a greater mortality risk than their peers who have normal vision – and that cataract surgery might reduce that risk.

New research from Australia has confirmed this in a study that compared people over the age of 49 years who have cataract-related vision loss and have cataract surgery to correct this, and those similarly-aged who have the same type of vision loss, but did not have the surgery. The study found that there is a 40 percent lower long-term mortality risk in those who had the surgery.

Cataract is the clouding of the lens in the eye and is a leading cause of treatable  that will affect more than half of all people by the time they are 80 years old. In , the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. This procedure should be considered and discussed with an ophthalmologist if completing everyday tasks is difficult.