Dietary fatty acids and the 5-year incidence of age-related maculopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess longitudinal associations between dietary fat and incident age-related maculopathy (ARM) in an older, population-based, historical cohort.


METHODS
A total of 3654 persons, 49 years or older, participated in the Blue Mountains Eye Study (1992-1994); 2335 (75.1% of survivors) were reexamined after 5 years (1997-1999). Dietary data were collected from 2895 people (79%) at baseline by means of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to calculate dietary fat intakes. Presence of ARM was graded from retinal photographs (Wisconsin ARM Grading System). Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, vitamin C intake, and smoking.


RESULTS
Participants with the highest vs lowest quintiles of n-3 polyunsaturated fat intake had lower risk of incident early ARM (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.41 [0.22-0.75). A 40% reduction of incident early ARM was associated with fish consumption at least once a week (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.58 [0.37-0.90]), whereas fish consumption at least 3 times per week could reduce the incidence of late ARM (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.25 [0.06-1.00]). We found no association between incident ARM and butter, margarine, or nut consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
A regular diet high in n-3 polyunsaturated fat, especially from fish, suggests protection against early and late ARM in this older Australian cohort. Our study could not confirm deleterious effects of higher polyunsaturated fat intakes reported by other clinic-based studies.
Chua
Brian
B
Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney Eye Clinic, Westmead Hospital, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
Flood
Victoria
V
Rochtchina
Elena
E
Wang
Jie Jin
JJ
Smith
Wayne
W
Mitchell
Paul
P
D000368:Aged; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015930:Diet Records; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D001205:Ascorbic Acid