Dietary glycemic assessment and type of lens opacity in patients with age-related cataract

Objective

To investigate dietary carbohydrate intake, glycemic index and glycemic load and type of lens opacity in patients with age-related cataract.

Materials and methods

This was an exploratory cross-sectional study, carried out at the Outpatient Clinics of Nutrition and Ophthalmology at the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador-Bahia, Brazil. Seventy eight patients, of both genders, with age-related cataract, participated. All patients underwent nutritional, clinical and ophthalmological assessment. Type of lens opacity was determined following Lens Opacity Classification System – LOCS III – criteria. Clinical data regarding fasting glucose, diabetes diagnosis and hypertension were collected from medical records. Participants answered two 24h-dietary recall. Global dietary carbohydrate intake (CHO), glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) were estimated.

Results

Most patients had adequate intake of CHO (83.3%), although presenting moderate dietary GI and high dietary GL (62.3% and 52.6%, respectively). No differences were observed in the distribution of these features in relation to the types of lens opacity (p> 0.05). The presence of posterior subcapsular cataract type (PSC) was higher among patients with hyperglycemia (p=0.009) and diabetes (p=0.031).

Conclusion

Considering the high prevalence of PSC cataract among those with abnormal blood glucose, nutritional attention should be paid to the quality of dietary carbohydrates in this population.

Figure 1

Sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle characteristics of 78 patients with age-related cataract.

Figure 2

Hyperglycemia and diabetes diagnoses by type of lens opacity in 78 patients with age-related cataract.

Figure 3

Dietary glycemic assessment of 78 patients with age-related cataract.

Figure 4

Glycemic Index, glycemic load and total carbohydrate intake among different types of lens opacity in 78 patients with age-related cataract.