The Framingham Eye Study. II. Association of ophthalmic pathology with single variables previously measured in the Framingham Heart Study.

Using the age-sex-specific data collected in the Framingham Heart Study 1948--1964 together with ophthalmic diagnoses made in the Framingham Eye Study in 1973--1975, the following variables were found to be associated with senile cataract: education, casual blood sugar, systemic blood pressure, height, vital capacity, serum phospholipid and hand strength; with senile macular degeneration: systemic blood pressure, height, vital capacity, left ventricular hypertrophy, hand strength and history of lung infection; with diabetic retinopathy: casual blood sugar, urine sugar and other specific elements of diabetes; with ocular hypertension: systemic blood pressure, height, casual blood sugar and pulse rate. No variables were identified as associated with open-angle glaucoma. The paper stresses the need for corroboration of these findings, which may be a mix of real and chance associations, and the need for additional analyses before any of these associations are considered evidence of factors related to risk of ophthalmic disease.