The association of age-related cataract and serum Vitamin C

• Author Details:   
• Yogish S. Kamath
• Shailaja S. Bhat
• Sameer Iqbal
• Lavanya G. Rao

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Purpose: To study the association of age-related cataract with serum vitamin C levels in patients presenting to a University hospital in South India.
Materials and Methods: All patients above the age of 50 years, willing to participate in the study, were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of significant cataract. The serum Vitamin C levels of all participants were analyzed using the colorimetric technique, and any association between it and the type of cataract was studied.
Result: A total of 131 participants in each group were studied. The patients with denser cataracts had a significantly lower level of serum Vitamin C. (0.91 + - 0.40 mg dL in Group 1 with cataract versus 1.16 + 0.50 in Group 2 without minimal cataract. P value of 0.001). The low serum vitamin c levels were strongly associated with nuclear and cortical cataracts, but not with posterior subcapsular cataracts.
Conclusion: The etiology of age-related cataract is multifactorial. We attempt to highlight one of the modifiable parameters which may delay the progress of this condition.

Keywords: Cortical cataract; Nuclear cataract; Posterior subcapsular cataract; Senile cataract; Serum vitamin C