HRT + Alcohol Increases Women's Cataract Risk

As reported in the March issue of the journal Ophthalmology, approximately 30,000 post-menopausal women have been studied over an 8 year period in Sweden. Those who were using or had used HRT had significantly higher rates of cataract removal, compared with women who had never used HRT and Alcohol consumption seemed to increase the harmful effects associated with HRT (please see the information on natural triple estrogen - Esnatri at AntiagingCentral.com).

The study was led by Birgitta E. Lindblad, MD, Sundsvall Hospital, Sundsvall, Sweden who said "If future studies confirm the associations we found, increased risk for cataract removal should be added to the list of potential negative HRT outcomes,".

During 1997 and 2005 over 4000 cataract removal surgeries were performed. For those who had HRT in the past there were14% more surgeries and 18% more for those currently on HRT, compared with women who never used HRT. Also, the longer duration of HRT use correlated with increased risk.

Current HRT users who drink more than 1 alcoholic drink per day had a 42% increased risk compared with women who used neither HRT nor alcohol. Surprisingly, smoking status did not significantly affect risk. Data were adjusted for exposure to external estrogens such as birth control pills, as well as reproductive and other health factors.

Dr. Lindblad explained that "Cataract is more prevalent in postmenopausal women than in men at similar ages; this implies that hormonal differences are involved and suggests a possible role for estrogen," . She described how HRT may act to promote cataracts and also compared her project's findings with earlier studies.

Estrogen receptors have been detected in the eye's lens, the area that becomes cloudy and inflexible when a cataract develops. Naturally occurring estrogen appears to protect the eye from cataract, along with guarding cardiovascular and other body systems before menopause. Estrogens like those used in HRT do not function the same way. For example, HRT increases C-reactive protein levels, associated with cataract development in other studies. Dr. Lindblad's study also describes how alcohol and HRT may interact to raise estradiol levels, which appears to affect cataract risk.

Results of the Swedish study may have been impacted by factors unique to this population: for example, nearly all participating women shared the same ethnicity, and all had equal access to care. The study did not identify type of HRT, type of cataract, or measure exposure to excess sunlight (a risk factor for cataract, although unlikely to impact residents of northern Europe).

Taken from DGNews at docguide.com

SOURCE: American Academy of Ophthalmology