Results of the Analysis of the Structure and Dynamics of the Cataracts Incidence

The most common cause addressing the ophthalmologist by the old and elderly people is cataract, which is largely due to the global trend of population aging. The number of patients with cataracts has increased significantly over the past decades, with an even more pronounced increase in the incidence of disease expected in the nearest future. More than 60% of operations performed in ophthalmological institutions are connected with cataracts. According to the prediction of the World Health Organization by 2025, about 120 million people aged 60 years and over will have lens opacities of varying intensity. About 40 million of them will need surgical treatment. According to statistical data, over 3 million citizens' applications are registered annually in Ukraine. These applications are connected with eye diseases. In the structure of ocular morbidity, the last 10 years cataract takes the second place (11%) after conjunctival diseases (30.7%) The aim of the work was to analyze the structure and dynamics of the incidence of cataracts according to the materials of Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital № 14 named after prof. L. L. Hirschman. Object and methods of research. The sources of study were 2,746 ambulatory patient cards and hospital statistical reports from 2005 to 2016. We analyzed cards of patients who applied to Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital № 14 named after prof. L. L. Hirschman for medical assistance because of cataracts. Results and their discussion. 53860 patients with cataracts were operated on in Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital № 14 named after prof. L. L. Hirschman during 2005-2016. 99.4% of these patients had senile cataracts. The average number of operated patients per year was (4488.3 ± 431.1) people. Reliably the greatest number of male and female patients was in the age group of 71-80 years old, with a significant majority of women in the group. In the examined group of patients 347 persons (13%) were of working age (up to 60 years inclusive), 2399 (87%) – of the retirement age. Differences in the number of these groups are statistically significant (χ 2 = 3066.8, p <0.05). The reliable majority of patients who asked for surgical cataract treatment had immature (46%) and mature (47%) cataracts. In the group of men, there were significantly (p <0.05) more patients with immature cataract, while in the group of women – with a mature one. In working age patients, immature cataracts were significantly (p <0.05, χ2 = 8.3) more common in men, which comprised (8.3 ± 0.8) % of a male group, than in women, which was (5.6 ± 0 , 6) % of a female group size. Mature cataract was significantly (p <0.05, χ2 = 11.6) more common in men than in women (6.4 ± 0.7) % and (3.4 ± 0.5) %, respectively. In persons of retirement age, immature cataracts were significantly (p <0.05, χ2 = 9.5) more common in the male group, and mature cataracts in the female group (p <0.05, χ2 = 48.7). The incidence of immature cataract in men was (42.8 ± 1.5) %, and mature – (34 ± 1.4) %, in women – (37 ± 1.2) % and (69 ± 1.1) %, respectively. The high percentage of people with mature cataracts (47% of all patients) indicates a lack of patients' awareness about the possible consequences of late addressing for surgical treatment.