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Cataract Surgery and Cognitive Benefits in the Older Person: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Yeo BSY, et al.. Ophthalmology, 2024-08
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This meta-analysis pooled data from 24 observational studies covering over half a million older adults to ask whether cataract surgery is associated with lower long-term cognitive decline compared with leaving cataracts untreated. It found a meaningful association, consistent with vision loss being added as a dementia risk factor in the 2024 Lancet Commission report. Because the underlying studies are observational, this shows association, not proof that surgery itself causes better cognition.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Yeo, B. S. Y., et al. (2024). Cataract Surgery and Cognitive Benefits in the Older Person: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology.
Vancouver
Yeo BSY, et al. Cataract Surgery and Cognitive Benefits in the Older Person: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology. 2024.
BibTeX
@article{yeo2024-19340c86,
author = {Yeo, B. S. Y. and others},
title = {{Cataract Surgery and Cognitive Benefits in the Older Person: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis}},
journal = {Ophthalmology},
year = {2024}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Meta-analysis of 24 studies, ~558,000 participants
- Cataract surgery associated with 25% lower risk of long-term cognitive decline vs. untreated cataract (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.72-0.78)
- Surgical patients' cognitive trajectories were comparable to people without cataracts
- No clear short-term benefit detected in patients who already had cognitive impairment before surgery
Why it matters
Across 24 observational studies, cataract surgery was linked to a 25% lower risk of long-term cognitive decline compared with untreated cataracts. Because these were observational studies, this shows an association and does not prove that surgery itself protects cognition.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants558,000
- Effect sizeHR 0.75 (95% CI 0.72-0.78) for cognitive decline with surgery
- Evidence strengthModerate
Limitations
All underlying studies are observational (association, not proven causation); no clear short-term benefit was detected in patients with pre-existing cognitive impairment.
How this study scored 74/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for indexed in PubMed because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multicenter collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 46 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 74 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Ophthalmology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 558,000 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 0 / 2 | No PubMed ID and no DOI — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 46 / 62 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 74 out of 100. |
| Total | 74 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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