Epidemiology

The prevalence of cataract increases with age, especially after age 60 years.[3]​ In the US, prevalence is approximately 17% (equivalent to 24 million people in 2010), and is expected to rise to 38.7 million by 2030.[4]

In the UK in 2022, an estimated 725,000 people were living with cataract.[5]

Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness worldwide.[6][7]​​ Globally, in 2020, among people aged ≥50 years there were:[6]

  • 78.8 million with moderate to severe visual impairment attributable to cataract

  • 15.2 million cases of blindness related to cataract (accounting for 45% of the 33.6 million cases of blindness globally).

Significant regional variability in cataract prevalence was reported in the Global Burden of Disease study, with the highest age-standardised rate reported for South Asia.[6]​ Age-standardised prevalence of blindness (people aged ≥50 years) was greater in women with cataract than men with cataract.[6]

The socio-economic impact of cataracts is particularly important in developing countries, with blindness having a significant impact on the workforce.[8] Although cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective healthcare interventions available, access is limited in some developing countries and rural areas.[6] While cataracts can be congenital (a leading cause of vision impairment among children in low-income countries) or due to trauma, medicines, or metabolic conditions, age-related cataracts are the most common and therefore have the greatest impact, particularly in the context of global ageing populations.[7]

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