(30-01-12) Carbohydrate nutrition, glycemic index, and the 10-y incidence of cataract.

Tan J, Wang JJ, Flood V, Kaushik S, Barclay A, Brand-Miller J, Mitchell P.
Source
Department of Ophthalmology, Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Although dietary carbohydrates are thought to play a role in cataractogenesis, few epidemiologic studies have examined links between carbohydrate nutrition and cataract.
OBJECTIVES:
We investigated the associations between dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), total carbohydrate intake, and 10-y incident nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataract.
DESIGN:
Of 3654 baseline participants in an Australian population aged >/=49 y (1992-1994), 933 were seen after 5 and/or 10 y, had completed a detailed semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, had no previous cataract surgery or baseline cataract, and had photographs taken to assess incident cataract with the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System. Dietary information was collected with a validated food questionnaire. GI was calculated from a customized database of Australian foods. GI, GL, and all other nutrients were energy adjusted. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated with the use of discrete logistic models.
RESULTS:
After age, sex, diabetes, and other factors were controlled for, each SD increase in GI significantly predicted incident cortical cataract (HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.39). Participants within the highest compared with the lowest quartile of GI were more likely to develop incident cortical cataract (HR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.78; P for trend = 0.035). These findings were similar after excluding participants with diabetes, although they were slightly attenuated and marginally nonsignificant (HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.37, per SD increase in GI). No association was found between GI and nuclear or posterior subcapsular cataract and between GL or carbohydrate quantity and any cataract subtype.
CONCLUSION:
In an Australian cohort, poorer dietary carbohydrate quality, reflected by high GI, predicted incident cortical cataract.

Source: Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov;86(5):1502-8.

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