Cataract increases the risk of peripheral artery occlusive disease: A nationwide population-based cohort study with propensity score

Int J Cardiol. 2016 Oct 1:220:768-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.06.084. Epub 2016 Jun 23.

Abstract

Purpose: We conducted this study to evaluate the risk of peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) among patients with cataracts.

Methods: We analyzed the data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Study participants were classified into the cataract group and the non-cataract group between 2000 and 2010. All patients were observed from the index year until PAOD diagnosis, loss to follow up, or the end of 2011. Both study groups were 1:1 matching based upon a propensity score. We used a cox proportional hazards regression model to assess the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PAOD for the cataract cohort compared with the non-cataract cohort.

Results: After adjustment for age, sex and comorbidities, the risk of PAOD was significantly higher in the cataract cohort [adjusted HR (aHR)=1.48, 95% CI=1.38-1.58] than the non-cataract cohort.

Conclusions: We found that patients with cataracts had a 1.48-fold increased risk of developing PAOD compared to the non-cataract patients.

Keywords: Cataract; Cohort study; Incidence; Peripheral artery occlusive disease.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cataract / diagnosis*
  • Cataract / epidemiology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease / diagnosis*
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease / epidemiology*
  • Population Surveillance* / methods
  • Propensity Score*
  • Random Allocation
  • Risk Factors
  • Taiwan / epidemiology