Systemic illnesses in cataract patients: 1. Incidence.

To determine the incidence of systemic illnesses in patients presenting for cataract surgery, the hospital charts of 846 consecutive patients who had cataract surgery in 1983 were reviewed. Previously undiagnosed illnesses were found in 35.1% of the patients. The high rate could not be attributed to the fact that a large number of the patients were from rural areas and thus may have had less access to medical care. The incidence rate of diabetes mellitus, 3.5%, appeared higher than would be expected on the basis of recent age-matched population surveys. Recommendations are made for preoperative assessment of cataract patients.