Age-Related Macular Degeneration Risks Linked with Indian Dietary Fat Consumption Patterns

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in India is lower than in America and Europe at 0.61 to 1.9%. Studies have shown that dietary patterns and consumption of certain food groups can influence the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in a given population. Aim: This study's goal was to evaluate the impact of dietary fat and food consumption patterns in Indians with ARMD and compare it to age-matched healthy individuals. Methodology: 90 patients from a Mumbai ophthalmology outpatient clinic who were above 50 years were recruited to participate in the research. The participants were divided into groups of those with and without ARMD based on the fundus assessment. For each of the meals, a food frequency questionnaire was utilized to record the common foods that all of the individuals ate. They were asked to remember the foods they had just ingested. Based on consumption patterns, some were grouped as vegetarians who had only plant-based foods and others as non-vegetarians who consumed meat, fish and eggs. Using a conversion table created for Indian meals, the intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids was quantified. The information was then analyzed between those with and without ARMD. Results: 45/90 people were in the control group, and among the 45 cases. The amount of MUFA consumed was 44.29+26.00 and 40.53+17.18 and PUFA consumed was 35.57+26.34 and 43.61+ 27.27 by the cases and controls discretely. With regard to dietary fats, there was no statistically significant difference between them p=0.05. Further, the food types consumption was analysed and it showed that 13% of the cases were vegetarians whereas 47% of the controls were vegetarians. 12% of the servings consumed in the cases had meat whereas only 3% of the servings contained meat among the controls. The control group consumed 1.7% servings of fish whereas the cases consumed 0.59%. Conclusion: The present study results show that Indians consume foods rich in PUFA which could lower the risk of ARMD. The results further indicate that subjects who consumed more vegetarian foods and were lower on meat were at a reduced risk to develop ARMD.