The Relationship between the Intake of Some Macronutrients and Dietry Antioxidants and Risk of Age-related Cataract in Adults: A Case Control

Cataract is among the major causes of vision impairment and blindness worldwide. The current study was done in the city of Tehran with the purpose of determining the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and the dietary intake of some macronutrients، carotenoids، vitamins C، E، A، selenium and risk of cataract in >40 Tehranians. In this case-control study that was conducted in 2013 in the city of Tehran، the factors such as socio-economic، life style and nutritional intake of 97 cataract patients and 198 controls with the same age and gender were collected through interview and questionnaire. Cataract was diagnosed using a slit-lamp examination، and defined as any lens opacity in either eye. Dietry intake was estimated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The association between the risk of cataract and quartiles of macro- and micro-nutrient intake was investigated using logistic regression models. After modifying the effects of confounding variables، the risk of cataract was significantly lower in the highest intake quartile category relative to the lowest quartile category for total fruit (OR= 0. 15; 95%CI= 0. 05-0. 3)، total vegetable (OR= 0. 20; 95%CI= 0. 08-0. 4)، and soluble fiber (OR= 0. 27; 95%CI= 0. 11-0. 6). We found significant inverse associations of cataract with higher dietary intake of vitamin C (OR=0. 22; 95% CI=0. 09-0. 54)، alpha-caroten (OR=0. 24; 95%CI=0. 1-0. 5)، beta-caroten (OR=0. 15; 95% CI=0. 05-0. 39)، lutein/zeaxanthin (OR=0. 19; 95%CI=0. 08-0. 45)، and betacryptoxanthin (OR=0. 05; 95%CI=0. 01-0. 15). High daily intakes of fruit and vegetables and dietry antioxidants were associated with a significantly decreased risk of cataract. This study reinforces the WHO recommendations on the benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables.