Study Evaluates Cataract Trends in the United States

As cataract cases continue to grow year after year, the cost of cataract surgery rises and Medicare reimbursements decrease, leading to undertreatment and further complications. Photo: Julie Tyler, OD. Click image to enlarge. Understanding the trends of a disease or disorder over time provides insight into the factors that need more attention from doctors. Knowledge on the prevalence of a disease, the demographics behind its lower and higher rates and the economic status of those struggling with their complications gives an overall map of the direction of who to focus energy towards when treating patients.In a recent study, researchers from Boston reviewed the prevalence, surgical trends and economic burden of cataract patients in the United States. Using ICD and CPT codes, researchers reviewed how cataract cases have changed from 2014 to 2021. Their findings were published last week in American Journal of Ophthalmology.“Our study revealed a steady increase in cataract prevalence and case burden among individuals over 65 years between 2014 and 2021, which likely reflects the growing aging population,” said the authors in their paper. They also observed significantly higher cataract prevalence in women than men, similar to findings noted in previous studies.After analyzing seven years of data, the researchers found a small percentage increase in cataract prevalence, from 36.4% in 2014 to 37% in 2021. In the aggregate, the national burden increased from 15.7 million to 19.6 million cases over that period. In women, cataract prevalence rose from 35.4% in 2014 to 37% in 2021. Men, however, had a prevalence of 29% in 2014 and 31% in 2021.When the data was stratified demographically, white patients had the highest prevalence. This grouo went from 33.7% in 2014 to 35.6% in 2021. Asian patients (30.8%), North American Native patients (27.6%), Black patients (26.1%) and Hispanic patients (23.6%) followed behind white patients in prevalence rates in 2021. Meanwhile, Black patients had the lowest percentage of cataract cases that underwent surgery (13.0%). Asian patients were the second lowest at 14.8%.Interestingly, the economic trends of cataract surgery, when adjusted for inflation, show somewhat of a burden on both the patient and the doctor. Surgical costs increased from $2,250 in 2014 to $2,664 in 2021, while Medicare reimbursements diminished from $673.11 in 2014 to $548.17 in 2021. Overall, Medicare reimbursement reduced from $1.015 billion in 2014 to $740.90 million in 2021.“These disparities are driven by social, cultural and financial barriers, including fear of surgery, lack of autonomy in household decision-making, and delayed health-seeking behavior, particularly in low- and middle-income families,” wrote the authors. “Addressing these disparities through targeted interventions, such as expanding outreach programs, reducing financial barriers, and improving healthcare utilization among underserved populations, will be crucial in mitigating vision impairment-related disability.”Click here for the journal source. Singh RB, Lindsey JL. Prevalence, surgical trends, and economic burden of cataract in Medicare population in the United States. Am J Ophthalmol. October 15, 2025. [Epub ahead of print]. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.