Cataracts

Sachin Kalyani, M.D.

Cataracts is a topic covered in the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide.

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DEFINITION

A clouding or opacity of the natural crystalline lens of the eye
When glucose increases in the lens (as in hyperglycemic states), the sorbitol pathway is activated more than glycolysis; sorbitol accumulates and is retained in the lens.
Along with sorbitol, fructose also builds up in a lens surrounded by a high-glucose environment.
These two sugars increase the osmotic pressure within the lens, drawing in water.
The result is swelling of the lens fibers, disruption of the normal cytoskeletal architecture, and ultimately, lens opacification[6].

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DEFINITION

A clouding or opacity of the natural crystalline lens of the eye
When glucose increases in the lens (as in hyperglycemic states), the sorbitol pathway is activated more than glycolysis; sorbitol accumulates and is retained in the lens.
Along with sorbitol, fructose also builds up in a lens surrounded by a high-glucose environment.
These two sugars increase the osmotic pressure within the lens, drawing in water.
The result is swelling of the lens fibers, disruption of the normal cytoskeletal architecture, and ultimately, lens opacification[6].

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