Senile cataract extraction and diabetes.

A study of hospital discharge diagnoses from both national data and data from a local medical centre indicates that diabetes substantially increases the probability of cataract extraction at age 40-49, about doubles or triples the probability for age 50-69, and has little effect on risk at age 70 and over. Strengths and weaknesses of the data are discussed. Other reports, generally estimating a much stronger association between diabetes and probability of cataract extraction, at least at age 50 and above, are critically evaluated.