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A Link Between Lead Exposure and
Cataracts?
(Chicago, Reuters Health, 12/7/04)
Debra Schaumberg of Brigham and Women's Hospital in
Boston, and team, assessed data from 795 American men, whose
bone lead levels had been measured between 1991 and 1999.
The investigators found that subjects who had the highest
lead exposure were two-and-a-half times more likely to
develop cataracts than those with the lowest levels.
Scientists speculate that lead accumulated in the bones may
slowly travel through the bloodstream, affecting protein
formation in the lens of the eye. These findings suggest
that reducing lead in the environment should continue to be
a priority.
(Journal of the American Medical
Association, 2004) |
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