Role of Lipid Peroxidation in the Pathogenesis of Age-Related Cataract

The occurrence and development of cataract affect the decline of visual, working and living comfort. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness, accounting for 50% of blindness worldwide [1]. Cataract is progressive lens opacity in humans of 45 years or more, occurring without any known cause such as trauma, inflammation, hypocalcemia, medications or congenital factors. Risk factors for the occurrence of cataract are numerous: aging, diabetes mellitus, UV radiation, malnutrition, smoking, hypertension, renal disease, and others. Free oxygen radicals and oxidative stress are considered to be an important factor contributing to age-related cataract 1,2. Oxidative stress has been shown to cause cataract in in vitro models 3. This hypothesis is supported by studies that examined the anticatarogenic effect of different nutritional and physiological antioxidants 4.