Cataracts defined
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people.
2010 U.S. age-specific prevalence rates for cataract by age and race/ethnicity
The risk of cataract increases with each decade of life starting around age 40. By age 75, half of white Americans have cataract. By age 80, 70 percent of whites have cataract compared with 53 percent of blacks and 61 percent of Hispanic Americans.
2010 prevalence rates of cataract by race
In 2010, white Americans age 40 and older had the highest prevalence rate of cataract (18 percent) followed by black Americans (13 percent). Hispanic Americans had the lowest rates of cataract (12 percent).
2010 U.S. prevalent cases of cataract (in thousands) by race/ethnicity
Among all people with cataract in the U.S. in 2010, the vast majority (80 percent) were white; eight percent were black and seven percent were Hispanic.
2010 U.S. prevalent cases of cataract by gender
Cataract is more likely to occur among women. In 2010, 61 percent of Americans with cataract were women; 39 percent were men.
Projections for cataract (2010-2030-2050)
By 2050, the number of people in the U.S. with cataract is expected to double from 24.4 million to about 50 million. The majority of cases will affect white people, however Hispanic Americans are expected to have the most rapid increase in prevalence from 1.76 million cases to 9.51 million.
