SENILE CATARACT PATIENTS

SERUM ELECTROLYTES AND CALCIUM

Abstract

Purpose: The current study was aimed at finding out the significance of serum
electrolytes and serum calcium levels in the development of senile cataract. Study Design:
Case control study. Setting: Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Period: Jan
2013 to June 2013. Methods: Total fifty patients with senile cataract and fifty controls were
selected. Clinical history and clinical diagnostic tests were performed by an ophthalmologist.
Blood samples were drawn and serum stored at -20o C. Serum potassium and sodium
were measured by Flame photometry. Serum chloride levels were estimated by quantitative
displacement of thiocyanate by chloride. The estimation of calcium was done using photometry
by CPC method. Statistical analysis was done by Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS
version 16.0). There were 31 females and 19 male (F:M = 1.63:1) patients. In the control group,
there were 32 females and 18 males (F:M = 1.77:1). The age was ≥ 40 years in both patients
and control group. Results: Nuclear cataract was the commonest. Among all the analytes,
only serum calcium levels were found to be significantly lower in patients (p value less than
0.05 as compared to controls). While difference of sodium, potassium and chloride levels
between cases and controls was insignificant. (p values 0.49, 0.36, and 0.45 respectively).
Conclusions: In Pakistan, serum electrolytes in cataract patients are not significantly different
from the controls while serum Calcium of cataract patients is significantly low when compared
with the control group, indicating the possible role of low calcium level as a risk factor in the
development of senile cataract.