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Fewer Cataracts for Runners and Walkers
Los Angeles, CA – 05/22/2013—There may be another benefit to running that people don’t usually think of. Running may lower the risk of developing cataracts, which is known as clouding of the eye lens.
A recent article in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Dr. Paul Williams describes findings from a long-term National Runners Health Study. In more than 32,000 and 14,000 walkers studied it was found that the more running or walking a person did, the less likely a cataract diagnosis was. The risk reduction was equal between men and women.
However, the runners in the study had less risk of developing cataracts than the walkers due to the simple reason that it’s easier to measure a given amount of METs when running than when walking.
Walk-Jogger
Well, that's certainly an additional reason for running a lot. I always thought sunlight or U/V was a culprit for causing cataracts, and outdoors activities such as running and biking would up the risk, but apparently that isn't the case!
Retired & Loving It
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Yeah, that is interesting...so wearing sunglasses while running should make my eyes totally badass!
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Did they determine use of sunglasses, hats, etc. when doing the study?
I fly.
Interesting. Is there a link to the whole article or more information?
Bring it on.
Fight The Future
here you go
Feeling the growl again
Cataracts are also causes by diabetes.....something likely far less common in runners. The reduced incidence may not be do to running at all but secondary. The causative reason may be something like diabetes....so running is a secondary reason for reduced cataracts (it was only a correlative study.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Guess I should have started earlier. Cataract surgery scheduled for 7/25/13!
Marathon Maniac #991 Half Fanatic #58 Double Agent #22 It's a perfect day and I feel great!
not bad for mile 25
Same here. Had the surgery in March; now I'm both moving and seeing like a 30 year old. Good luck!
Well, I hope I don't move like the 30 year old I was. But if I move like the 30 year old I could have been, it will be okay!
+1
Latent Runner
Hmmm, I've been running since 1971 (when I was 14) and yet I was first diagnosed with a cataract in my right eye when I was 49. Initially it was just annoying to feel like I had to blink a "sleepie" out of my eye, but as the cataract got worse, two things happened, I started losing my depth perception AND my wife and I got laid off from our jobs and we lost our health care (unfortunately my catact wasn't "bad" enough to qualify for replacement surgery before we lost the health care).
By the time I was 53 I was utterly and completely blind in my right eye, and as a trail runner with no depth perception, that in turn meant I fell, often. I managed to come up with a consulting position which meant I had cash flow but no health care, and after being told by my opthomologist what it would cost me out of pocket for lens replacement surgery, I called a clinic in Mumbai and was delighted to be told that even with airfare and three nights in a hotel, it would cost me less than half compared to having the procedure done here in the States.
Long story short, I was diagnosed with a cataract in my left eye shortly after having the right eye repaired; I had that one done earlier this year, 26 months after the first one (I have health care now, yay!), and now I can run my trails with only the occasional THUD into the dirt.
Fat old man PRs: