Long-term nutrient intake and 5-year change in nuclear lens opacities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if usual nutrient intake is related to a 5-year change in the amount of lens nuclear opacification assessed by computer-assisted image analysis.


METHODS
A sample of 408 Boston, Mass-area women from the Nurses' Health Study aged 52 to 74 years at baseline participated in a 5-year study related to nutrition and vision. Usual nutrient intake was calculated as the average intake from 5 food frequency questionnaires that were collected over a 13- to 15-year period before the baseline evaluation of lens nuclear density. Duration of vitamin supplement use before baseline was determined from 7 questionnaires collected during this same period. We assessed the degree of nuclear density (opacification) using computer-assisted image analysis of digital lens images with amount of nuclear density measured as a function of average pixel gray scale, ranging from 0 (clear) to 255 (black).


RESULTS
Median (range) baseline and follow-up nuclear densities were 44 (19 to 102) and 63 (32 to 213). The median (range) 5-year change in nuclear density was 18 (-29 to 134) and was positively correlated with the amount of opacification at baseline (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.35; P<.001). Geometric mean 5-year change in nuclear density was inversely associated with the intake of riboflavin (P trend = .03) and thiamin (P trend = .04) and duration of vitamin E supplement use (P trend = .006).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that long-term use of vitamin E supplements and higher riboflavin and/or thiamin intake may reduce the progression of age-related lens opacification.
Jacques
Paul F
PF
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Mass, USA.
Taylor
Allen
A
Moeller
Suzen
S
Hankinson
Susan E
SE
Rogers
Gail
G
Tung
William
W
Ludovico
José
J
Willett
Walter C
WC
Chylack
Leo T
LT
D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007907:Lens Nucleus, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013831:Thiamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016387:Women's Health
D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; D012256:Riboflavin; D013831:Thiamine