Cataracts

Sachin Kalyani, M.D.
Cataracts is a topic covered in the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Guide.

To view the entire topic, please log in or purchase a subscription.

Official website of the Johns Hopkins Antibiotic (ABX), HIV, Diabetes, and Psychiatry Guides, powered by Unbound Medicine. Johns Hopkins Guide App for iOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android included. Explore these free sample topics:

Johns Hopkins Guides

COVID-19 Update with Dr. Paul Auwaerter of Johns Hopkins : Omicron Variant, Testing, and TreatmentCOVID-19 Update with Dr. Paul Auwaerter of Johns Hopkins : Omicron Variant, Testing, and Treatment

Coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)Coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)

Suicide Risk in the COVID-19 PandemicSuicide Risk in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Moderna COVID-19 VaccineModerna COVID-19 Vaccine

BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer)BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer)

Managing Stress and Coping with COVID-19Managing Stress and Coping with COVID-19

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 VaccineJohnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

-- The first section of this topic is shown below --

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].

-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please log in or purchase a subscription --

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].

There's more to see -- the rest of this entry is available only to subscribers.

© 2000–2022 Unbound Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved