Abstract
Background/objectivesEpidemiological evidence suggests that diets rich in flavonoids may reduce the risk of developing age-related cataract (ARC). Flavonoids are widely distributed in foods of plant origin, and the objective of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the association between the intakes of the five flavonoid subclasses and the risk of ARC.Subjects/methodsA population-based case-control study (249 cases and 66 controls) was carried out in Heilongjiang province, which is located in the northeast of China, and where intakes and availability of fresh vegetables and fruits can be limited. Dietary data gathered by food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were used to calculate flavonoid intake. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by logistic regression.ResultsNo linear associations between risk of developing ARC and intakes of total dietary flavonoids, anthocyanidins, flavon-3-ol, flavanone, total flavones or total flavonols were found, but quercetin and isorhamnetin intake was inversely associated with ARC risk (OR 11.78, 95% CI: 1.62–85.84, p<0.05, and OR 6.99, 95% CI: 1.12–43.44, p<0.05, quartile 4 vs. quartile 1, respectively).ConclusionAs quercetin is contained in many plant foods and isorhamnetin in very few foods, we concluded that higher quercetin intake may be an important dietary factor in the reduction of the risk of ARC.
Highlights
Age-related cataract (ARC) is the leading cause of poor vision and accounts for almost half of all cases of blindness globally [1]
To show potential differences in the effects of various flavonoids, we investigated separately the effects of the major flavonols: kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, isorhamnetin; and the major flavones: apigenin and luteolin
Recruits were from the local population, aged 50Á70 years, who had been living in Heilongjiang province for more than 10 years
Summary
Age-related cataract (ARC) is the leading cause of poor vision and accounts for almost half of all cases of blindness globally [1]. Flavonoids are effective antioxidants because of their free-radical scavenging properties and because they can chelate metal ions [6] They are metabolic products in fruits and vegetables and they have a number of different phenolic structures [7], some of which may protect the lens against free oxygen radical damage and lipid peroxidation. Flavonoids have not been observed to decrease the risk of ARC related to oxidative damage of the lens in human dietary studies, but the effect has been demonstrated in animal and experimental cell studies. The relationship between flavonoid intake and risk of ARC remains uncertain, most previous dietary studies have investigated the total intakes of flavonols and flavones and have suggested that flavonoids can have positive effects on other chronic disease risks (14Á16). Our primary hypothesis is that the intake of flavonoids is inversely associated with the incidence of ARC; and a second hypothesis is that the intake of flavonoids is inversely associated with the incidence of lens opacities
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