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Amount of sun exposure linked to pterygium rates

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The prevalence of pterygia and cataract may be related to the amount of sun exposure a person has, according to a study of Brazilian indigenous people.

J.S. de Paula and colleagues in Sao Paulo analyzed 624 adult Indians from the Brazilian rain forest, comprising four different ethnic groups based on social behavior.

The Arawak and Tukano group had a 36.6% prevalence of pterygia, the Maku and Yanomami a 5% prevalence rate. The first group also had a higher prevalence of cataract, at 24.5%, compared with the second group (13.7%). Gender was not associated with either rate; the prevalence of pterygia did not increase with age, but the prevalence of cataract did, the study stated.

The study is published in Eye.