ParcticeUpdate.com
RESEARCH · August 01, 2014
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- Using data from the Blue Mountain Eye Study, the authors found that participants who had an initial higher Total Diet Score (reflecting a healthier dietary intake) had a 29% lower incidence of visual impairment at the 10-year follow-up examination, suggesting a benefit of healthy eating in lowering the risk for developing a visual impairment.
- Unlike the associations of specific nutrients with specific eye conditions, this analysis encompasses the interaction of all nutrients as well as environmental factors.
– Kathy Freeman, OD, FAAO
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE
To assess whether adherence to dietary guidelines at baseline is associated with the incidence of visual impairment among older persons after 10 years.
DESIGN
A population-based cohort of 3654 participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study were examined at baseline and were reexamined after 5 and 10 years.
METHODS
The incidence of visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity (VA) <20/40 at follow-up in 1 or both eyes. Dietary information was obtained at baseline using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Total Diet Score (TDS) was calculated based on the Australian diet quality index. TDS includes components of diet quality; poor dietary habits; and energy balance. Discrete logistic regression models with time-dependant outcome variables were used to calculate hazard risk ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with incidence of visual impairment for each unit/quartile increase in TDS, adjusting for potential confounders.
RESULTS
Of the 3654 baseline participants, 1963 had up to 10 years follow-up with completed FFQs. With each unit increase in TDS, the risk of visual impairment decreased (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-1.00). The risk of developing visual impairment was lower among persons in the highest compared to the lowest TDS quartile (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.47-1.05). This association was significant among persons aged 65+ years (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.38-0.98) but not those aged
CONCLUSIONS
Compliance to dietary guidelines was associated with a decreased long-term risk of visual impairment in this sample of Australians aged 65+ years.
American Journal of Ophthalmology
Adherence to Dietary Guidelines and the 10-Year Cumulative Incidence of Visual Impairment: The Blue Mountains Eye Study