title: Visual acuity in fish consumers of the Brazilian Amazon: risks and benefits from local diet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the associations between near and distant visual acuity and biomarkers of Hg, Pb, n-3 fatty acids and Se from the local diet of fish-eating communities of the Tapajós River in the Brazilian Amazon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visuo-ocular health and biomarkers of Hg (hair, whole blood, plasma), Pb (whole blood), Se (whole blood and plasma) and n-3 fatty acids (plasma total phospholipids) were assessed in a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lower Tapajós River Basin (State of Pará, Brazil), May to July 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and forty-three adults (≥15 years) without diagnosed age-related cataracts or ocular pathologies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Near visual acuity was negatively associated with hair Hg and positively associated with %DHA, with a highly significant Log Hg × age interaction term. Stratifying for age showed that while young people presented good acuity, for those aged ≥40 years, clinical presbyopia was associated with hair Hg ≥ 15 μg/g (OR = 3·93, 95% CI 1·25, 14·18) and %DHA (OR = 0·37, 95% CI 0·11, 1·11). A similar age-related pattern was observed for distant visual acuity in relation to blood Pb, but the evidence was weaker.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that Hg and Pb may affect visual acuity in older persons, while DHA appears to be protective for near visual acuity loss. In this population, with little access to eye care, diet may have an important influence on visuo-ocular ageing.
authors: Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la biologie, la santé, la société et l'environnement (Cinbiose), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Canada H3C 3P8.
authors: Myriam
authors: M
authors: Fillion
authors: Mélanie
authors: M
authors: Lemire
authors: Aline
authors: A
authors: Philibert
authors: Benoît
authors: B
authors: Frenette
authors: Hope Alberta
authors: HA
authors: Weiler
authors: Jason Robert
authors: JR
authors: Deguire
authors: Jean Remy Davée
authors: JR
authors: Guimarães
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Larribe
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Barbosa
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Mergler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium