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According to Schaumberg, cataracts develop as a result of cumulative injury to the crystalline lens of the eye. "Lead can enter the lens, resulting in gradual injury to certain proteins present in the epithelial cells, and this eventually results in a cataract," she said.

The Harvard researchers are among the first to use bone lead in studying the effect of lifetime lead exposure on disease risk. "The best biological marker for estimating a person's cumulative exposure to lead is provided by skeletal lead," said Dr. Howard Hu, professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the study. "Since blood lead levels reflect only recent exposures, they are not likely to predict the development of age-related diseases such as cataract, which take many years to develop."

Cataracts, a clouding of the lens resulting in a partial loss of vision, are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Other risk factors for cataract include diabetes, smoking, long-term alcohol consumption, and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight.

The prevention of age-related cataract remains an important public health goal," said Schaumberg. "In addition to the obvious problems of reduced vision, the visual disability associated with cataracts can have a significant impact on the risk of falls, fractures, quality of life, and possibly even mortality."

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Contact: John Peterson
peterso4@niehs.nih.gov
919-541-7860
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
10-Dec-2004