Body Mass Index and Age-Related Cataract

Abstract

To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) and cataract in a metropolitan Asian elderly population. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Agerelated cataract was defined as any type of lens opacity (ie, nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular opacity) with a Lens Opacities Classification System III grade of more than 2 in one or both eyes. Weight and height were measured by intensively trained interviewers. Results: A total of 2045 subjects 65 years and older in Shihpai, Taipei, were invited to participate, and 1361 (66.6%) completed the survey. Of the subjects, 806 were diagnosed as having age-related cataracts. With a BMI of less than 21.3 as a reference point (odds ratio [OR], 1.00), a U-shaped relationship between BMI and nuclear opacity was demonstrated. A reverse U-shaped relationship was shown for cortical opacity. In the final multiple logistic regression models, BMI and BMI 2 were significantly related to nuclear opacity (BMI data: OR, 0.73 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.54-0.98]; and BMI 2 data: OR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.01]) and cortical opacity (BMI data: OR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.04-2.34]; and BMI 2 data: OR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.98-0.99]). Neither BMI nor BMI 2 was related to posterior subcapsular opacity. Conclusion: Body mass index is an independent risk factor for nuclear and cortical opacities, but in reverse direction to each other.

Obesity and Eye Diseases

“…The relationship between obesity and cataract has been investigated in many epidemiological studies, 10,21,22,53,63,74,86,94,107,108,121,126,129,144,168,197,211,222 but the findings are not universally consistent ( Table 1). The strongest evidence are based on prospective data from several large population-based studies demonstrating positive association between obesity and cataract.…”

“…Obesity has recently been reported to be negatively associated with visual acuity, 10 but the ocular conditions underlying this association and the potential implications are unclear. Amongst different eye diseases, obesity has been associated with cataract, 1,21,53,63,86,94,107,108,121,129,168,211,222 age-related maculopathy, 2, 28, 167, 173 diabetic retinopathy, 8, 24, 83, 114, 171, 207 and glaucoma. 60, 127, 225 However, these associations have not been consistently documented.…”

Análise da capacidade de acomodação em pacientes présbitas com baixo índice de massa corporal

“…In the medical literature, BMI had only been related to eye conditions linked to nutritional factors such as age-related macular degeneration or those related to the aqueous humour and intraocular pressure (IOP), but no statistical correlation was found (8,20) . Therefore, assessing the relationship between BMI and presbyopia is unprecedented in the literature.…”

“…According to Kuang et al (2005) there are different classifications depending on the population characteristics in each country, and classifications may be modified depending on changes over time and issues related to public health (8) .…”

“…Segundo Kuang et al (2005), há diferenças destas classificações de acordo com características populacionais de cada país, e mesmo podendo ser modificadas de acordo com conveniênci-as de evolução temporal e de saúde publica (8) . …”