Epidemiologic Study of Patients Reciving Cataract Surgeries in Alavi Hospital, Ardabil, 1999

Senile cataract is one of the most common diseases in the world and a common cause for reduced visual acuteness and blindness. It is due to many factors the most important of which is aging. Other risk factors include gender, smoking, sunlight, living environment, high risk professions, family history, systemic diseases, etc. The present study was an attempt to investigate this disease epidemiologically and draw a general profile for it in order to pave the way for further research. This was a cross-sectional descriptive and retrospective study. The files of the patients who had received senile cataract surgical operation in Alavi hospital from March 1999 to February 2000 were investigated to collect the required data. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. 218 patients were studied. The prevalence of this disease was found to be 83.9% which was observed among males more than females and was more common in the 6th decade of life. The disease was mostly seen in the left eye and reduced visual activity to the light perception was the most common clinical complaint among the patients. 29% of the patients were diabetic and 22.1% of them had hypertension. Because of high prevalance of cataract, it is necessary to have good medical care and management. Moreover, some training and guidelines seem necesarry.