The prevalence of cataract in two villages of Northern Pakistan with different levels of ultraviolet radiation

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Abstract
To study the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light ou the development of age-related cataract, a community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in two villages in the mountainous Northern Areas of Pakistan. The relative UV light exposure was calculated by the UK Universities Global Atmospheric Modelling Program using the variables direct sunlight hours per day, latitude and ground reflectivity. A total of 797 subjects (410 men, 387 women) over the age of 40 years from both villages were examined for the presence of cataract. The prevalence of cataract increased with age (pppp<0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of cataract between the male indoor and outdoor workers in the village with Itigher UV light exposure (Hunza). Overall, these results are not strongly supportive of UV light being of major importance in cataractogenesis, but they are consistent with a saturation model of UV light as a risk factor for cataract formation.

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