Alternative Names & Classifications:
Senile Cataract (CLINICAL)
Description
Age-related cataracts form when the structural proteins within the eye's lens slowly denature and clump together, creating opaque, cloudy areas that obstruct light from reaching the retina. This degenerative process is a natural consequence of aging and prolonged ultraviolet light exposure, disrupting the normally precise arrangement of lens fibers. By age 80, more than half of all individuals either have a cataract or have had surgery to remove one.