Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate associations of various components of metabolic syndrome and their combinations with the risk of age-related cataract(ARC)in middle-aged and elderly people.MethodsA hospital-based case-control study was conducted.Cases(n=260)were patients of 45-85 years old with cataract and controls(n=260)were patients with diseases that not related to cataract and admitted to the same hospital with the cases.All subjects were interviewed with a structured interviewer-administrated questionnaire.The odds ratios(OR)and corresponding 95% confidence intervals(CI)of ARC were computed with multiple logistic regression model.Results After adjusting for multiple potential confounders,diabetes,hypertension,low high density lipoprotein,high triglyceride level,and central obesity were positively associated with ARC.Among the cases with metabolic syndrome,the risk of ARC was approximately 2-fold higher than that of the controls without metabolic syndrome(OR=2.213,95% CI:1.012-4.837;P=0.023).Cases with at least 3 components of the metabolic syndrome had a significantly increased risk of ARC(OR=2.667,95% CI:1.166-6.097;P=0.014)compared with the controls without any of the components.The risk of ARC increased with the number of components of metabolic syndrome,and the linear trend test was statistically significant(χ²=10.236,P<0.001).ConclusionThe study indicates that the metabolic syndrome,its components,and their combination seem to be associated with an increased risk for ARC.