Democracy Dies in Darkness

The Big Number: 24 million Americans age 40 and older deal with cataracts

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September 20, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
Cataract development usually starts in middle age, when proteins in the lens break down and clump together, creating a cataract that may, over time, increase in size. (Linda Davidson/The Post)

Cataracts, an eye affliction that commonly develops as people age, affects today more than 24 million Americans 40 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Eye Institute says that number will reach 50 million over the next three decades.

The lens of the eye, which is responsible for bending light rays (called refraction) to produce focused vision, is normally clear. A cataract, however, causes it to become cloudy.