The Pathophysiology of Cataract and Major Interventions to Retarding Its Progression: A Mini Review

Cataract is defined as opacity within the clear natural crystalline lens of the eye, which gradually results in vision deterioration. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 1990, out of the 38 million blind people worldwide, cataract accounted for 41.8% -almost 16 million people [1]. With a projected increase in the geriatric population, WHO has estimated that there will be 54 million blind people aged 60 years or older by the year 2020 [1]. Accordingly, cataract surgery will continue to weigh heavily on health care budgets in the developed nations. In the United States, cataract-related expenditure is estimated to be over $3.4 billion annually [2]. In the developing world, the number of new cataract cases supersedes the rate of surgical removal. In Africa alone, only about 10% of the 500,000 new cases of cataract blindness each year are likely to have their sight restored surgically. It is estimated that if onset of cataract could be delayed by 10 years, the annual number of cataract surgeries performed would be reduced by almost a half [2,3]. This calls to question the risk factors of this multifactorial disease, which have been a litany of genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, and biochemical factors working in an interlaced fashion. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the pathophysiology of cataract and the major interventions that have been deployed to help retard its progression. Pathogenesis of Cataract