At what age do people become the most susceptible to cataracts?

What we call a "cataract" is the late-stage, age-related, discolored, natural lens of the eye. Since the word "cataract" is a noun, we are led to think of it as a thing, when it might be more understandable if it were thought of as a "process:" the slow, age-related degeneration of that natural lens. Surprisingly, presbyopia (the loss of near vision usually requiring reading glasses) is often the first sign of this degeneration -and presbyopia typically occurs in our mid-40s. The degree of slow degeneration of our vision throughout our 50s and 60s is due to further hardening and discoloration of the natural lens.

There are other types of cataract, e.g. caused by trauma and drugs, that are not age-related, but those are not typical cataracts most eye doctors see.

_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic