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 | | Thursday, 28 March, 2002, 00:56 GMT Cataract death mystery for women  Scientists are baffled by the findings Women who develop cataracts are far more likely to die within four years than men with the same condition, research shows. Scientists are baffled by the marked difference, and have launched an investigation to find out why. They suspect that the effects of childbearing may cause subtle damage which may manifest itself in damage to both eyes and elsewhere in the body. Cataracts happen when proteins in the lens of the eye are damaged, causing it to go cloudy. It is one of the most common causes of blindness - although a simple operation can correct it. It is well-known that diabetics are more prone to cataracts, and there is a higher death rate among those who develop them. Smoking and race The researchers, from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London, looked at 1,500 people with cataracts, all over the age of 65. Four years later, 222 of them had died, including 31 diabetics.
Death rates for men were similar regardless of whether or not they had cataracts. Even when the samples were adjusted to take account of risk factors such as smoking and race, the results were the same. Dr Darwin Manissian, who led the research, told BBC News Online: "It was a complete surprise - whatever I did to the results to try to get rid of the difference, it remained. "Previous studies have shown that diabetics with cataracts are more likely to die, but little research had been done on non-diabetics. "Now we are wondering how we can explain this discrepancy." Indian answers He said that it was possible that hormonal changes might be having some influence - as might the rigours of childhood. Separate research conducted in a province in India, where many women develop cataracts at a younger age, revealed a strong association with the number of pregnancies a woman has had. Further research is planned on a sample of Irish women to see if pregnancy plays a role in a Western country. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Health stories now:  Links to more Health stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||
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