Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss in older adults.
About half of Americans ages 65 to 74 develop cataracts, and 70 percent of those older than 75 have them. School of Medicine researchers have identified a potentially key link between cataracts and light exposure. They also suspect that a new glaucoma drug might have the unintended effect of promoting cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that obstructs the passage of light. Although cataract patients can be treated surgically, a better understanding of how cataracts form might lead to methods that prevent their development.