The Link Between Cataracts, Diabetes, and High Blood Pressure

Treatment Options and Special Considerations

Do you have diabetes or high blood pressure? If yes, then you should get your eyes screened for cataract regularly. Cataract is likely to start early in people who have both or even one of these chronic conditions and occurs more frequently in these people. Why does this happen?

There is a physiological reason for it. High blood sugar or high blood pressure causes some changes to the proteins present in the lens of the eye and this process hardens the lens and makes it less transparent¹⁴. Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of cataract by four times in people below the age of 65 years¹⁵. Cataract can occur in people with diabetes who are as young as 40 years¹⁶ of age. Research also shows that in people of the same age, the risk of cataract is 1.2 times higher in those who have high blood pressure than in those who do not¹⁷.

It is important to know that with advanced surgical techniques, cataract surgery is safe for people with diabetes and high blood pressure if they take, the necessary precautions¹⁸.

Catch it early, catch it in time
An early cataract diagnosis ensures that any risk of complication during surgery is minimized, if not eliminated. First the eye surgeon checks whether the patient suffers from any other eye condition which needs attention before the surgery. Take for example, diabetic retinopathy. At an early stage of cataract, it is possible to diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy before cataract surgery and avoid any complications¹⁹. This is why people who suffer from either diabetes or high blood pressure are advised to go for regular eye checks.

Control the condition
Patients who have diabetes or high blood pressure need good, steady control of their blood sugar and pressure levels well before surgery. The eye surgeon will check for optimal levels required for a safe cataract surgery and if there is any variation, will confer with the patient’s personal doctor to ensure that these are brought under control before the surgery. This can bring down the cataract surgery complications.