The Relation between Sleep Disruption and Cataract in a Large Population-Based Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate the relation between sleep disruption and nuclear cataract, as well as the impact of cataract removal on sleep, in two discrete population-based cohorts.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 5070 participants from three large longitudinal epidemiologic studies of age-related eye disease, hearing, olfaction, and cognition. Slit-lamp photos of the lens were obtained to grade nuclear cataract using a standardized protocol. The quality of sleep was assessed using a modified Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the associations between levels of nuclear cataract/cataract extraction and the number of sleep problems. Systemic co-morbidity data were included as potential confounders, including diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, thyroid disease, tobacco and alcohol use, and physical component summary score and mental component summary score.

Results: The mean age of the cohort was 57.6 years (range 22–95 years). The majority of the cohort demonstrated nuclear cataract levels 2 or 3 (36.8% and 30.1%, respectively). A total of 8% of the cohort had an intraocular lens (IOL) in at least one eye. There was no statistically significant correlation between sleep problems with presence of either nuclear cataract or IOL implant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: In this cross-sectional, population-based study, we found no significant association between nuclear cataract or presence of IOL with poor sleep quality after adjusting for potential confounders. Studies of the longitudinal impact of nuclear cataract and cataract removal on sleep are needed to elucidate the role of nuclear cataract and cataract removal on sleep.

KEYWORDS:

• Cataract extraction
• intraocular lens
• nuclear cataract
• population study
• sleep disruption

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the writing and content of this article.

Funding

This work was supported by Award Number R01AG021917 (KJC) from the National Institute on Aging, R37AG011099 (KJC) from the National Institute on Aging, U10EY06594 (RK, BEKK) from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (YC, DMN, CRS, RK, BEKK, and KJC). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Award Number R01AG021917 (KJC) from the National Institute on Aging, R37AG011099 (KJC) from the National Institute on Aging, U10EY06594 (RK, BEKK) from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (YC, RK, BEKK, and KJC). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.