Adherence to Baltic Sea diet and healthy Nordic dietary pattern and lower risk of age-related cataract: a case-control study from Iran

Abstract

Background Age-related cataract (ARC) is a multifactorial and progressive disease that causes blindness globally. Dietary antioxidants like vitamins and carotenoids have been reported to attenuate oxidative stress the main cause of ARC. However, the association between adherence to dietary healthy dietary patterns and ARC has yet to be understood. Since, adherence to Nordic diet style measured by two indices including Healthy Nordic Food Index (HNFI) and Baltic Sea Dietary Score (BSDS) was associated to some chronic diseases, in this study we aimed to investigate the association between HNFI and BSDS and the odds of ARC in a case-control study, in Iran. Methods This hospital-based case-control study was conducted on 98 patients with cataract and 198 healthy controls selected based inclusion criteria. A valid 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake over last year. To investigate the association between HNFI and BSDS and risk of ARC, the logistic regression tests was performed. Results Individuals in case and control groups were significantly different in body mass index (BMI), history of diabetes, hypertension and family history of hypertension. The intake of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin D showed significant difference between two groups of study. The adherence to BSDS and HNFI were associated with lower risk of ARC in crude and adjusted models. After adjustment for potential cofounders, participants in the highest tertile of HNFI and BSDS (compared to the lowest tertile) had 99.1% and 74% lower ARC risk (OR = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.03–0.22 and OR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.11–0.58, respectively). Conclusion Our results support previous findings on protective effects of dietary patterns rich in antioxidant on cataract. Adherence to Nordic eating style measured by BSDS and HNFI consist of fruits and root vegetables, whole grain, fish and health fats may reduce risk of ARC.