Researchers continue to study cataracts, but their cause remains uncertain. However, there are certain risk factors associated with cataracts, they include:

• Age. Most Americans older than 60 years have cataracts.
• Medical conditions. Diabetes and other systemic diseases, glaucoma, and metabolic abnormalities can cause cataracts.
• Physical injuries. Commonly called traumatic cataracts. A blow to the eye, great heat or cold, chemical injury, exposure to radiation (usually associated with radiation therapy for cancer patients), and other injuries can lead to cataract formation.
• Ultraviolet radiation (UVA or UVB). Long-term exposure to sunlight is believed to speed the development of cataracts.
• Oral steroids and other medications. Oral steroids (such as prednisone), the gout medication allopurinol, the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, the heart medication amiodorone, and the long-term use of aspirin have also been associated with cataracts.
• Smoking. Studies indicate that smokers are twice as likely to develop cataracts than nonsmokers and that quitting can reduce the risk for developing cataracts.