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Large Japanese Study Links History of Heatstroke to Doubled Cataract Diagnosis Rates
Researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology reviewed health records of 2.46 million people and determined that those with a history of heatstroke face 1.96 times higher risk of developing cataracts. The study, published in Environmental Research, is the largest to link a rise in body temperature to the eye condition.
May 13, 5:03 AM·1m read1 source
Japan TimesAudio version
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People who have suffered from heatstroke are twice as likely to develop cataracts, according to the largest study yet to show a possible link between a rise in body temperature and the condition. 46 million people. 96 times higher for those with a history of heatstroke.
Japan Times reported these results on May 13, 2026. The study by researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology was published in the Environmental Research journal.
The article was written by staff writer Tomoko Otake. Cataracts cloud the eye lens and blur vision. The study found that heat stress could damage eyesight. With another brutally hot summer just around the corner, the researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology had a stark message on the risks.
46 million people produced the key data points. 96 times higher.
Japan Times reported that the study by researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology is the largest one to show a possible link between a rise in body temperature and the condition. The findings arrive as Japan faces repeated extreme heat events. The research draws directly from nationwide insurance data, giving it unusual scale.
