ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Epidemiology Volume 10 Number 2 1 of 5 Prevalence Of Hypertension And Diabetes Mellitus Among People Seeking Cataract Surgery In Rural South India. B Behera, K Satish, S Jena, M Hussain, S Samal Citation B Behera, K Satish, S Jena, M Hussain, S Samal. Prevalence Of Hypertension And Diabetes Mellitus Among People Seeking Cataract Surgery In Rural South India.. The Internet Journal of Epidemiology. 2012 Volume 10 Number 2. Abstract Objective: To know the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus among people seeking cataract surgery in the rural population. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Study was carried out at G.S.L. Medical College & General Hospital, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. Participants: Cases of cataract requiring surgery. Methodology: People were screened for cataract at village level eye camps and an ophthalmology outpatient department. The study group consisted of diagnosed cases of senile cataract, who were admitted to the hospital for surgery. All the cases were screened for hypertension and diabetes mellitus before surgery. Statistical Analysis: Percentages, Z-test, & chi-square test. Results: Out of 1627 cases, 49% were male and 51% were female. The prevalence of hypertension & diabetes mellitus was 20.59% & 5.9% respectively. Among 795 male cases, 13.8% have hypertension, whereas the prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 4.7%. The prevalence of hypertension & diabetes mellitus among 832 female cases was 24.5% and 4.4% respectively. Conclusions: Chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes are usually present among cataract cases. Early detection and proper control will greatly delay the development and progress of complications This paper was presented in the 35 th annual National IAPSM conference, 23 rd -25 th January 2008, held at JIPMER INTRODUCTION Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are both iceberg diseases. Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disorder, which poses a major public health challenge. It is one of the greatest risk factors for cardiovascular mortality. 1 An analysis of worldwide data shows that one billion adults had hypertension in the year 2000, and it has been predicted to increase up to 1.56 billion by 2025. 2 Similarly, diabetes mellitus cases are estimated to be 150 million and this has been predicted to double by 2025, with the greatest number of cases expected to be in China and India. 3 Globally, cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness, affecting approximately 18 million people. 4 It has been observed that the prevalence of cataract is higher among developing nations in Africa, Asia, & Latin America. 5 This occurrence is even greater in rural communities. 6 The prevalence of cataract in South India is 53%. 7 Cataracts are 2-5 times more frequent in diabetic patients and occur at an earlier age, thus the visual loss has a significant impact on the working population. 8, 9 Fluctuating levels of sorbitol, fructose and glucose exert harmful osmotic stresses within the lens, so control of the diabetes would help to prevent the fluctuations. 10 It has been estimated that 20% of all cataract surgeries are performed on diabetic patients, 11 with a surgical rate of 3,400 adults per one million per year in India. 12 Like diabetes, systemic hypertension was found to significantly increase the risk for posterior sub-capsular cataracts. Hypertension induces changes in the protein conformational structures in the lens capsules, subsequently causing alterations in membrane transport and permeability of ions, and finally increasing intraocular pressure, resulting in exacerbation of cataract formation. 13 The prevalence of hypertension is high, both in urban & rural population in India. 14,15 Since cataract is a leading cause of blindness, modifiable risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use should be treated to reduce the incidence of cataract. 16 Hence, an early detection of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in cataract patients will help in prevention of severe complications. This study was