RISKS OF UNTREATED CATARACTS

BESIDES RESTORING GOOD VISION, cataract surgeries can also reduce the risk of falls and fractures and life-threatening brain bleeds from falls in older adults. It is already known that cataract surgery can reduce the risk of hip fractures, a major cause of mortality and morbidity in older adults.

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For the study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, researchers wanted to see if less traumatic falls causing fractures like a broken wrist can also increase the risk of death in older adults. They used a national database of more than two million patients diagnosed with agerelated cataracts.