Risk factors for cataracts include:

• Age. Getting older is a major risk factor for cataracts.
• Ethnicity. Native Americans and people of African-American heritage are at higher risk for developing cataracts.
• Sex. Women are at slightly higher risk than men for cataracts. However, it is unclear whether this applies to all types of cataracts or only to certain types.
• Family history (genetics). People with a family history of cataracts are more likely to have cataracts. People with certain genetic disorders also have an increased risk of cataracts which may be as high as 50%. These disorders include myotonic dystrophy, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, and galactosemia, a rare disorder that involves elevated levels of the sugar galactose in the blood.²
• Iris color. For unknown reasons, people with darker-colored irises appear to have an increased risk of developing cataracts.³

Some chronic diseases increase the risk for cataracts. Keeping these diseases under control may help lower your risk of developing cataracts:

• Diabetes. People with diabetes are at increased risk for cataracts. Damage to the lens of the eye results from persistent high blood sugar (glucose) levels.¹
• Glaucoma. Certain medications that are used to treat glaucoma may increase the risk of developing a cataract. Surgery to treat glaucoma also increases the risk of cataracts.

Other factors that increase your risk include:

• Smoking. People who smoke are more likely to develop cataracts. Smoking may damage the lens of the eye by leading to the formation of chemicals called free radicals. High levels of free radicals can damage cells, including those in the lens of the eye.
• Infection during pregnancy. If a woman has certain infections during pregnancy, such as rubella or chickenpox, the baby may develop a cataract before birth.
• Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Ultraviolet B (UVB) is related to cataract development. Studies have shown that high lifetime exposure to ultraviolet light, as in those whose occupations result in regular exposure to sunlight, leads to an increased chance of developing cataracts.¹
• Alcohol use. Some studies show that heavy drinking may increase the risk of cataracts.¹
• Long-term use and higher doses of steroid medications. Long-term use of high doses of steroid medicines for conditions such as asthma or emphysema increases a person's risk of developing cataracts.¹
• High triglycerides. A recent study suggests that elevated levels of triglycerides, a form of fat that can accumulate in the walls of your arteries, may increase the risk of cataracts in men.⁴

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