corticosteroid therapy in amplifying this risk.
The study, which utilized Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) database covering over 99.9% of the population, included 30,501 adults newly diagnosed with SLE between 2011 and 2020. Each patient was compared with four age-, sex-, and year-matched controls without SLE, resulting in a total of 122,004 participants in the comparison group. The researchers tracked the incidence of cataracts as the primary outcome and assessed how age, gender, comorbidities, and corticosteroid use influenced this risk.
The authors emphasized that these findings highlight the importance of regular ophthalmic screening and cautious corticosteroid management among patients with SLE. Given that cataract formation can significantly affect quality of life and visual function, proactive monitoring may help in early detection and timely intervention.
The researchers acknowledged certain limitations—particularly the lack of data on disease activity, laboratory results, and lifestyle factors, which may influence cataract development.
The study reinforces that adults with systemic lupus erythematosus are at significantly elevated risk for cataract formation, especially when receiving higher doses of corticosteroids.
"The findings highlight the need for careful eye health monitoring and judicious use of corticosteroid therapy in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to explore how disease activity and long-term treatment patterns affect ocular complications in this patient population," the authors concluded.
Liu D, Chung C, Wang Y, et alRisk of cataract in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective cohort study in TaiwanBMJ Open 2025;15:e101079. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-101079
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