Lenses of diabetic patients "yellow" at an accelerated rate similar to older normals.

The authors used a psychophysical method to measure lens transmission of young, type I diabetic patients and normal controls. The results from normal controls agreed with previously published reports of decreasing lens transmission with age, and those from diabetic subjects suggested that lenses of young, type I diabetic patients age or "yellow" at an accelerated rate that was similar to that of normal controls over the age of 60 yr. The rate of accelerated lens density that occurs per year with the duration of diabetes is similar to the rate of accelerated lens density that occurs per year with patient age over 60 yr. A possible molecular explanation for the accelerated lens yellowing in both populations is discussed. Both diabetic individuals and the older normal populations have elevated plasma glucose levels and therefore may have accelerated glycosylation of lens proteins which causes increased lens yellowing.