Adherence to Baltic Sea Diet and Healthy Nordic Food Index and Risk of Age-Related Cataract: A Case-Control Study from Iran

Age-related cataract (ARC) is a multifactorial progressive disease that causes blindness globally. Dietary antioxidants such as vitamins and carotenoids have been reported to attenuate oxidative stress as the major cause of ARC. However, associations between adherence to healthy dietary patterns and ARC must be understood. Up to date, adherence to the Nordic diet style assessed by two indices, including the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score, have been associated with chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate associations between the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score and the odds of ARC in a case-control study, in Iran.

This hospital-based case-control study was carried out on 98 patients with ARC and 198 healthy controls were selected based on the inclusion criteria. A valid 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake over the last year. To investigate associations between the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score and the risk of ARC, logistic regression tests were used.

Adherence to the Baltic Sea dietary score was associated with lower risks of ARC in crude and adjusted models. After adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the highest quartile of Baltic Sea dietary score (compared to the lowest) had 75% lower age-related cataract risks (OR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.11–0.56). The current results support previous results on the protective effects of dietary patterns rich in antioxidants on ARC.

Adherence to the Nordic eating style, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, fish, and healthy fats, assessed by the Baltic Sea dietary score may decrease risks of age-related ARC.