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Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and its association with age-related macular degeneration. The Coimbra Eye Study–Report 4

2018; Elsevier BV; Volume: 51-52; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.nut.2017.12.010

1873-1244

Sandrina Nunes, Dalila Alves, Patrícia Barreto, Miguel Raimundo, Maria Luz Cachulo, Cláudia Farinha, Inês Laíns, João Rodrigues, Carlos Vinícius Dias de Almeida, Luísa Ribeiro, João Figueira, Lèlita Santos, Rufino Silva,

Retinal Imaging and Analysis

This study aimed to characterize the association of lifestyle and nutritional risk profiles with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in two subpopulations with differing AMD prevalence. This case-control study (n = 1992) included 768 patients with AMD and 1224 age- and sex-matched participants without AMD with a single visit at a primary health care unit. Enrolled participants completed a validated lifestyle and food frequency questionnaire. A score to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet (mediSCORE; Range, 0–9) was constructed from individual food intakes, which were further analyzed by conversion to nutrient consumption. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (mediSCORE ≥6) was significantly associated with no AMD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.73; P = 0.009). The subpopulation with lower AMD prevalence presented significantly higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in relation to all individual food groups that comprised the mediSCORE (P < 0.014) with the exception of cereals. Food group analysis showed significant associations between the increased consumption of vegetables (OR = 0.63; P < 0.001) and fruit and nuts (OR = 0.78; P = 0.010) with no AMD. Nutrient analysis revealed that an increased ingestion of water, fibers, total fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, vitamins A and C, carotene, alpha-tocopherol, folate, magnesium, iron, and zinc were significantly associated with no AMD (P < 0.0013). Finally, regular physical activity was associated with no AMD (P = 0.003). High adherence to a Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity seem to be protective factors for AMD in a Portuguese population. The effect of the diet is likely driven by the increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, and nuts.