Cataractogenic risk factors.

It was the intention of this study to provide a review on cataractogenic risk factors which are already known from the early and recent literature. Additional causative or mutual causative factors have been derived from recent studies [Bloemendal et al., 1984; Hockwin et al., 1984; Rink and Hockwin, 1985b; Eckerskorn et al., 1986]. Under this view it seems necessary to classify the cataractogenic risk factors into 3 subgroups: (a) factors from which we definitely know their cataractogenic potential and their mode of action (e.g. diabetes); (b) factors from which we certainly know that they are closely related to cataractogenesis, without knowing the mechanism of action, and (c) factors that are only assumed to be involved in the development of cataractogenesis; however, neither origin nor mode of action has been explained (e.g. nicotine or alcohol intake). For further epidemiological research it would be important to introduce many of the known factors into the corresponding questionnaires. As we may assume that different risk factors with differing mechanisms of action are responsible for the variety of cataract types, it is a prerequisite for future studies to improve the cataract classification systems possibly by using the Scheimpflug camera method [Eckerskorn et al., 1986] which results in hard, reliable and highly reproducible data.