Rheumatoid arthritis and cataract surgery

Abstract

The prevalence of patients with adult onset rheumatoid arthritis among populations undergoing cataract surgery is low. Only 0.7% of 982 cataract surgery patients in the 45-79 age group, had rheumatoid arthritis. From the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S.A., 12.5% of women and 5.6% of men in the 45-79 age group should have undergone cataract surgery. The lower prevalence of cataracts among rheumatoid arthritis patients may be due to a slower progression of cataracts or to medications (such as acetyl salicylic acid) received for therapy. Acetyl salicylic acid which lowers blood tryptophan may delay or prevent the formation of senile cataracts.

Aspirin use and chronic diseases: a cohort study of the elderly.

“…The use of aspirin has been reported to be protective for cataracts in studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis,23 diabetic patients,24 and patients admitted for cataract extraction.25 26 Other studies have not, however, confirmed this effect,' 27`29 and we see no apparent protection in our cohort despite a substantial number of cases.…”