Nearly half of interventional cardiologists may have pre-cataract lesions

This statement is based on eye exams conducted during the last SCAI meeting (Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions), where 47% of evaluated operators had radiation related lesions in their crystalline. In time, these might turn into cataract.

Studies on astronauts and Chernobyl survivors have shown a clear association between ionizing radiation and crystalline damage, especially the posterior part, which seems to be more radiosensitive.

Last year, during the SCAI meeting, eye exams were conducted to assess the incidence of posterior sub-capsular cataracts among attendees.

117 participants were evaluated: 99 had occupational ionizing radiation exposure and 18 were chosen as control (researchers not exposed to radiation).

Of these 99 participants exposed to radiation, 47% presented relatively minor lesions, which might eventually turn into cataract, in contrast with 17% of lesions found in the control group.

The difference persisted after multivariable adjustment for age, smoking and diabetes.

Even though these lesions do not impair vision, they have the potential to evolve into cataract, which is why it is important to detect them as a way to encourage radio protection in the cath lab.

This study carried out at SCAI meeting is not new at all since, during 2011 SOLACI annual meeting (Latin American Society of Interventional Cardiology), in the context of the RELID study, researchers had arrived to similar conclusions.

The valuable information collected by the RELID study has awarded researchers the “Editors award of JVIR as the Outstanding Clinical Research Paper for 2013”, which SOLACI and specialized radio protection physicians in Latin America, among others Dr. Ariel Durán, take pride in.

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