Could there be a Link?
Dr. Kaziwe Mollazadegan and his team at Sweden’s Karolinska University Hospital conducted a study of close to 29,000 Swedish adults, over a period of 9-10 years. It was found there were 1,159 cases of cataracts in people with Celiac, versus the expected 909 cases based on the general public (or 397 cases of cataracts for every 100,000 people vs. 311 cases of general public). Therefore, Celiacs had a slight increase of cataracts over the general population. According to Dr. Mollazadegan, celiac and cataracts may share similar risk factors. Other autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, have also been linked to cataracts. The researchers are considering the possibility of chronic inflammation, or nutritional deficiencies, as contributing to the development of cataracts. Dr. Mollazadegan suggests people with Celiac keep this connection to cataracts in mind, and make any eye issues known to their doctor.
View the Abstract reported on May 30, 2011 on the American Journal of Epidemiology/Oxford University Press website: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/05/30/aje.kwr069.abstract
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Be sure to discuss any health concerns with your primary care physician.
