{"id":12,"date":"2016-08-24T23:31:43","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T23:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cataractcourse.com\/?page_id=12"},"modified":"2017-02-01T01:06:47","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T01:06:47","slug":"introduction-to-cataracts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cataractcourse.com\/introduction-to-cataracts\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cataracts are opacities of the ocular lens.\u00a0General symptoms of cataracts include blurry vision, glare, and changes in refractive error. Worldwide, cataracts are the single most common cause of blindness.<\/p>\n
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Cataracts cause an estimated 51% of blindness worldwide, followed by glaucoma 8%, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) 5%, childhood causes 4%, and corneal opacities 4% (21% of blindness is from undetermined causes).\u00a0Cataracts are also a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide (33%, behind refractive errors at 42%).\u00a0Within the US, an\u00a0estimated 30.1 million people are projected to have cataracts in 2020.<\/p>\n
Controlling medical conditions such as diabetes can help slow the growth of cataract formation. Some studies have also shown that taking antioxidant supplements decreases the rate of cataract formation; however, other studies have shown no benefit (AREDS 2).<\/p>\n