Carbohydrate intake and risk of glaucoma in the sun cohort

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the association between carbohydrates (CH) intake and glaucoma incidence. Methods: 18,247 volunteer participants (183,067 person-years at risk) with 10-year of median follow-up were included in this prospective dynamic cohort. Baseline total CH intake (g/d) was categorised in quartiles and classified in nine different CH food sources. Self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma was collected at baseline and on biennial follow-up questionnaires. CH intake and glaucoma diagnosis were validated in a subsample of participants. We studied potential confounders and effect modificators, including diabetes. The relationship between CH intake and glaucoma incidence was analysed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards ratio (HR) models to adjust for potential confounding factors. Results: During 10 years of median follow-up, a total of 242 new cases of glaucoma were identified. Participants in the highest quartile of baseline CH intake had a significantly higher risk of glaucoma as compared to participants in the lowest quartile [HR 1.50 (95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.01–2.25), p for trend = 0.042]. None of the nine CH food groups was individually related to glaucoma. In stratified analyses, after excluding all cases of diabetes, the HR comparing extreme quartiles of CH intake was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.15–2.74). Conclusions: Our results suggest that a higher intake of total carbohydrates is associated with a higher risk of incident glaucoma. The total amount of CH, rather than the specific food sources of CH, seems to play a major role, and this association does not seem to be confounded or modified by diabetic status.

Alcohol, Intraocular Pressure, and Open-Angle Glaucoma

“…Alcohol use has not been associated with visual field defect deterioration in known glaucoma patients, 89 progression from POAG suspect to definite POAG, 90 or progression to blindness in high-tension POAG. 91 Alcohol consumption was also not found to be associated with incident self-reported glaucoma in the SUN cohort 92 or with prevalent glaucoma in a German case-control study. 93 …”

ACE-Vitamin Index and Risk of Glaucoma: The SUN Project

“…Glaucoma was defined, following the European Glaucoma Society recommendations, as a visual field defect with damage to the optic nerve rim and loss of retinal nerve fibers. A correct glaucoma diagnosis was found in the validation study performed, with a Kappa value of 0.85 (95% coefficient interval (CI), 0.83-0.87) and good sensitivity (0.83) and specificity (0.99) [ 16 ].…”

Is Ultra-Processed Food Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Glaucoma? A Prospective Cohort Study including 19,255 Participants from the SUN Project

“…The validation results showed high agreement between self-reported and clinical diagnoses (kappa (κ) = 0.85; 95% CI 0.83 to 0.87) and high specificity (0.99) and sensitivity (0.83). All validated diagnoses were open-angle glaucoma [17].…”

“…Although there is limited evidence linking diet to glaucoma, previous research has suggested connections between nutrition and glaucoma risk [17][18][19][20]. For example, a greater consumption of carbohydrates has been related to an increased risk of developing glaucoma [17].…”

“…Although there is limited evidence linking diet to glaucoma, previous research has suggested connections between nutrition and glaucoma risk [17][18][19][20]. For example, a greater consumption of carbohydrates has been related to an increased risk of developing glaucoma [17]. Additionally, the dietary ratio of omega 3:6 fatty acid intake may impact the balance of intraocular pressure, which is the most significant modifiable risk factor for glaucoma [18].…”