TY - JOUR
T1 - Reduced age-related cataracts among elderly persons who reach age 90 with preserved cognition
T2 - A biomarker of successful aging?
AU - Zubenko, George S.
AU - Zubenko, Wendy N.
AU - Maher, Brion S.
AU - Wolf, Norman S.
PY - 2007/5
Y1 - 2007/5
N2 - Tissue damage due to oxidative stress has been implicated in aging, memory loss, and cataract formation. We hypothesized that persons who achieved exceptional longevity with preserved cognition (successful aging [SAG]) would exhibit a lower rate of age-related cataract (ARC) than the general population. The age-specific rates of ARC for a group of 100 (50 male, 50 female) elderly persons who reached at least age 90 years with preserved cognition were compared to the corresponding rates of ARC reported in five population-based studies. The principal finding of this report was that the SAG group manifested a significant reduction in the age-specific rate and lifetime cumulative incidence of ARC compared to the general population. Steroid use, alcohol consumption, gout, and skin lesions resulting from excessive sun exposure emerged as risk factors. Our findings suggest that the progressive development of lens opacities may be reflective of degenerative events occurring more generally throughout the body.
AB - Tissue damage due to oxidative stress has been implicated in aging, memory loss, and cataract formation. We hypothesized that persons who achieved exceptional longevity with preserved cognition (successful aging [SAG]) would exhibit a lower rate of age-related cataract (ARC) than the general population. The age-specific rates of ARC for a group of 100 (50 male, 50 female) elderly persons who reached at least age 90 years with preserved cognition were compared to the corresponding rates of ARC reported in five population-based studies. The principal finding of this report was that the SAG group manifested a significant reduction in the age-specific rate and lifetime cumulative incidence of ARC compared to the general population. Steroid use, alcohol consumption, gout, and skin lesions resulting from excessive sun exposure emerged as risk factors. Our findings suggest that the progressive development of lens opacities may be reflective of degenerative events occurring more generally throughout the body.
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U2 - 10.1093/gerona/62.5.500
DO - 10.1093/gerona/62.5.500
M3 - Article
C2 - 17522353
AN - SCOPUS:34447527780
SN - 1079-5006
VL - 62
SP - 500
EP - 506
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
IS - 5
ER -