Adherence to dietary guidelines and the 10-year cumulative incidence of visual impairment: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

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 <65 years (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.46-1.97).

CONCLUSIONS:

Compliance to dietary guidelines was associated with a decreased long-term risk of visual impairment in this sample of Australians aged 65+ years.

• Authors: Thomas Hong, Victoria Flood, Elena Rochtchina, Paul Mitchell, Joanna Russell, Jie Jin Wang
• Journal: American journal of ophthalmology (Am J Ophthalmol) Vol. 158 Issue 2 Pg. 302-8 (Aug 2014) ISSN: 1879-1891 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24844974 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Aged
• Dietary Supplements
• Female
• Forecasting
• Guideline Adherence
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Middle Aged
• New South Wales (epidemiology)
• Nutrition Policy
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Vision Disorders (diet therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Visual Acuity
• Visually Impaired Persons (rehabilitation, statistics & numerical data)