UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

The Association of Ambient Air Pollution With Cataract Surgery in UK Biobank Participants: Prospective Cohort Study

Chua, SYL; Khawaja, AP; Desai, P; Rahi, JS; Day, AC; Hammond, CJ; Khaw, PT; (2021) The Association of Ambient Air Pollution With Cataract Surgery in UK Biobank Participants: Prospective Cohort Study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science , 62 (15) , Article 7. 10.1167/iovs.62.15.7. Green open access

[thumbnail of i1552-5783-62-15-7_1638794291.21398.pdf]
Preview
Text
i1552-5783-62-15-7_1638794291.21398.pdf - Published Version

Download (632kB) | Preview

Abstract

Purpose: Air pollution is associated with chronic diseases of later life. Cataract is the most common cause of blindess globally. It is biologically plausible that cataract risk is increased by pollution exposure. Therefore, the relationship between air pollution and incident cataract surgery was examined. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study involving 433,727 UK Biobank participants. Ambient air pollution measures included particulates, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Outdoor air pollution was estimated based on land use regression models. Participants undergoing cataract surgery in either eye were ascertained via data linkage to the National Health Service procedure statistics. Those undergoing cataract surgery within 1 year of baseline assessment and those reporting cataract at baseline were excluded. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between air pollutants and incident cataract surgery, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Results: There were 16,307 incident cases of cataract surgery. Higher exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a 5% increased risk of incident cataract surgery (per interquartile range [IQR] increase). Compared to the lowest quartile, participants with exposures to PM2.5, NO2, and NOx in the highest quartile were 14%, 11%, and 9% more likely to undergo cataract surgery, respectively. A continuous exposure-response relationship was observed, with the likelihood of undergoing cataract surgery being progressively higher with greater levels of PM2.5, NO2, and NOx (P for trend P < 0.001). Conclusions: Although the results of our study showed a 5% increased risk of future cataract surgery following an exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and NOx, the effect estimates were relatively small. Further research is required to determine if the associations identified are causal.

Type: Article
Title: The Association of Ambient Air Pollution With Cataract Surgery in UK Biobank Participants: Prospective Cohort Study
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.15.7
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.62.15.7
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Institute of Ophthalmology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10140499
Downloads since deposit
78Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item