Adherence to dietary guidelines and the 10-year cumulative incidence of visual impairment: The blue mountains eye study

Authors

Thomas Hong, University of Sydney
Victoria Flood, University of SydneyFollow
Elena Rochtchina, University of Sydney
Paul Mitchell, University of Sydney
Joanna Russell, University of WollongongFollow
Jie Jin Wang, University of Sydney

RIS ID

92206

Publication Details

Hong, T., Flood, V., Rochtchina, E., Mitchell, P., Russell, J. & Wang, J. (2014). Adherence to dietary guidelines and the 10-year cumulative incidence of visual impairment: The blue mountains eye study. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 158 (2), 302-308.

Abstract

Purpose To assess whether adherence to dietary guidelines at baseline is associated with the incidence of visual impairment among older persons after 10 years. Design A population-based cohort of 3654 participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study were examined at baseline and were reexamined after 5 and 10 years. Methods The incidence of visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity (VA) <20/40 at follow-up in 1 or both eyes. Dietary information was obtained at baseline using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Total Diet Score (TDS) was calculated based on the Australian diet quality index. TDS includes components of diet quality; poor dietary habits; and energy balance. Discrete logistic regression models with time-dependant outcome variables were used to calculate hazard risk ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with incidence of visual impairment for each unit/quartile increase in TDS, adjusting for potential confounders. Results Of the 3654 baseline participants, 1963 had up to 10 years follow-up with completed FFQs. With each unit increase in TDS, the risk of visual impairment decreased (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-1.00). The risk of developing visual impairment was lower among persons in the highest compared to the lowest TDS quartile (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.47-1.05). This association was significant among persons aged 65+ years (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.38-0.98) but not those aged <65 years (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.46-1.97). Conclusions Compliance to dietary guidelines was associated with a decreased long-term risk of visual impairment in this sample of Australians aged 65+ years.