(15-02-06) Dietary fatty acids and the five year incidence of age-related maculopathy.

Flood VM, Chua B, Rochtchina E, Wang JJ, Smith W, Mitchell P.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Hospital, NSW, 2145.

Background - Several prospective studies have found increased risk of age related maculopathy (ARM) in participants with high intakes of dietary fat, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Objectives - To assess longitudinal associations between dietary fat and incident (ARM) in a cohort of older Australians. Design - Population-based prospective cohort studied of 3654 persons, 49+ years, who participated in the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES I, 1992-4); 2335 (75.1% of survivors) were re-examined after 5 years (BMES II, 1997-9). Dietary data were collected from 2895 people at baseline (79%) using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, used to calculate dietary fat intakes. Fatty acids were analysed using the RMIT fatty acid database. ARM was graded from retinal photographs (Wisconsin System). Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, vitamin C and smoking. Outcomes - Participants with the highest vs lowest quintiles of omega -3 polyunsaturated fat intake had lower risk of incident early ARM (OR 0.4, CI 0.2-0.8). A 40% reduction of incident early ARM was associated with fish consumption at least once /week (OR 0.6, CI 0.4-0.9), while fish consumption at least 3 times /week may reduce incidence of late ARM (OR 0.3, CI 0.1-1.0). We found no association between incident ARM and consumption of butter, margarine or nuts. Conclusion - A diet high in fish, suggests protection against both early and late ARM. Our study could not confirm the deleterious effect of higher polyunsaturated fat intakes reported recently from other clinic-based studies.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14 Suppl:S82.

PMID: 16326569 [PubMed - in process]

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