Evaluation of cataract-related risk factors using detailed classification systems and multivariate statistical methods.

The well-known different morphological features observed in so-called senile cataract are probably symptoms of various pathogenetic mechanisms in the lens. In order to identify a relationship between type of cataract and special risk factors, a cataract classification system using Scheimpflug photography has been developed. Data of 288 cataract patients (case histories and blood chemistries) have been grouped according to differences in cataract morphology. The multivariate analyses showed the following five variables to be important and to contribute independently to the differentiation of cataract types: cholelithiasis, allergy, heart insufficiency, pneumonia, and age. A case-control study without consideration of cataract morphology showed the following variables to be important and to associate independently with the risk of developing cataracts: age, allergy, diabetes, hypotension, hypertension, use of analgesics, and coronary disease.