Hunting around for a good topic and AMD and cataracts popped up in the search. Daddy had both and I would suspect some of you have both, too. Is there a relationship between AMD and cataracts? If so, what is it?
Turns out those are excellent questions. The experts are falling on different sides of the fence as to whether or not there may be a relationship between them.
Back in the earlier years of this century (2002) the good folks in Wisconsin, the Beaver Dam Eye Study people, again looked at their subjects after ten years had passed. Statistically, there was an indication that cataracts alone are associated with early AMD. There was also a statistical correlation between cataract surgery and late AMD.
Once again, we are looking at correlation. Correlation does not assume causality. Want a giggle over crazy correlations? Go to the website Spurious Correlations for some fun graphs. You will quickly see how just because things correlate they may not cause one another.
Anyway, like I said, they are still casting around to try to get some definitive answers on this question. The Chesapeake Watermen Study found a correlation between having cataracts and AMD but the Framingham Eye Study and some early Blue Mountain work did not.
But what about a correlation between cataract surgery and late AMD? Beaver Dam found cataract surgery before baseline (initially study measures) was associated with increased risk of late AMD. In fact, eyes that had cataract surgery were four times as likely to develop geographic atrophy and three times as likely to develop wet AMD! Holy freakin’ moley! How do you like that for being between a rock and a hard place?
Of course, like, I said, there is no certainty in any of this yet. In AREDS Report 25, Chew et al reported no correlation between cataract surgery and ARM. Hard to know who to believe.
So, what to do? No one is saying to go blind with cataract now rather than wait and go blind with AMD later. Do what you have to do to see.
FYI Blue Mountain, fortunately or unfortunately, flipped over to the significant correlation camp in reviewing results of a 2006 study. While that may not be great news for those with cataracts, Blue Mountain also shared yet another point they agree on with Beaver Dam. They discovered nonphakic eyes had a three times greater risk of developing late stage AMD as opposed to phakic eyes.
I know. I know. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Here is the explanation: in phakic cataract surgery, there is a small incision made in the front of the eye and the artificial lens is implanted. The natural lens is not removed. In nonphakic cataract surgery, the lens is removed.
Talk to your doctor, but as it stands now, given the choice, the phakic procedure sounds like a better choice to me. Might decrease your chances of advanced AMD.
Written August 7th, 2017
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