​Cigarette smoking may promote the development of some types of age-related cataracts, such as nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataracts.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cigarette smoking on the risk of developing age-related cataracts. A team of Chinese researchers reviewed data extracted from 8 case-control and 13 prospective studies.

The team of investigators observed that cigarette smoking elevated the risk of developing the following types of age-related cataracts: nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataracts. The odds of developing nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataracts were higher in current smokers than in past smokers. On the other hand, cigarette smoking was found to have no significant effect on cortical cataract risk in this study. The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that cigarette smoking may increase an individual's susceptibility to developing certain types of age-related cataracts, including nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataracts.