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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119660
Title: POSTMENOPAUSAL HORMONE USE AND LENS OPACITIES

Author
item WEINTRAUB, JUNE - HARVARD SCH PUBLIC HEALTH
item TAYLOR, ALLEN - HNRCA
item JACQUES, PAUL - HNRCA
item WILLETT, WALTER - HARVARD SCH PUBLIC HEALTH
item ROSNER, BERNARD - HARVARD SCH PUBLIC HEALTH
item COLDITZ, GRAHAM - HARVARD SCH PUBLIC HEALTH
item CHYLACK, LEO - CTR OPHTHALMIC RES B&W H
item HANKINSON, SUSAN - CHANNING LAB

Submitted to: Ophthalmic Epidemiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/14/2001
Publication Date: 7/1/2002
Citation: Weintraub, J.M., Taylor, A., Jacques, P.F., Willett, W.C., Rosner, B., Colditz, G.A., Chylack, L.T., Hankinson, S.E. 2002. Postmenopausal hormone use and lens opacities. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 9(3):179-190.

Interpretive Summary: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and is one of the five conditions most frequently diagnosed among Americans 65 years and older. Loss of vision due to cataract is correctable by surgery and between 1.6 and 2 million such procedures are performed annually in the US. However, this procedure is expensive and not readily available in less developed countries. Women are at higher risk for age-related cataract than men of the same ages, and it has been hypothesized that this difference is due in part to gender-related hormonal differences. We investigated the association between postmenopausal hormone use and lens opacities in a population of 480 postmenopausal women for whom we had prospectively collected exposure data. Participants received standardized eye exams; the Lens Opacity Classification System III was used to measure the degree of opacification. A total of 342 women had some opacity in one or both eyes. Overall, we did not observe a significant association between current hormone use and presence of any type of opacity. Current use of estrogen only preparations was associated with a 49% decreased risk of nuclear opacities compared to never use. While the overall findings are null, they do not exclude the possibility of a protective effect, particularly among current estrogen users.

Technical Abstract: Women are at higher risk for age-related cataract than men, and it has been hypothesized that this difference is due in part to gender-related hormonal differences. We investigated the association between postmenopausal hormone use and lens opacities in a population of 480 postmenopausal women for whom we had prospectively collected exposure data. Participants received standardized eye exams; the Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCS 111) was used to measure the degree of opacification. A total of 342 women had some opacity in one or both eyes. Overall, we did not observe a significant association between current hormone use and presence of any type of opacity, (compared to never users, multivariate relative risk=0.85; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.54 to 1.34). In ordinal logistic regression compared to never users, current hormone users had multivariate relative risks of cortical opacities of 0.80 (95% Cl 0.54 to 1.19) and for past users the relative risk was 0.76 (95% Cl 0.48 to 1.22). For nuclear opacities, the comparable relative risk for current use of hormones was 0.77 (95%Cl 0.52 to 1. 13), and for past use the relative risk was 1.48 (95% Cl 0.92 to 2.34). Current use of estrogenonly preparations was associated with a 49% decreased risk of nuclear opacities compared to never use (multivariate RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.89). While the overall findings are null, they do not exclude the possibility of a protective effect, particularly among current estrogen users.