HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kang, J. H Articles by Hankinson, S. E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kang, J. H Articles by Hankinson, S. E Agricola Articles by Kang, J. H Articles by Hankinson, S. E

Dietary fat consumption and primary open-angle glaucoma^1,2,3

¹ From the Departments of Epidemiology (JHK, WCW, KME, and SEH), Nutrition (WCW), and Biostatistics (BAR), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; the Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston (JHK, WCW, BAR, and SEH); the Division of Ophthalmology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston (LRP); the Glaucoma (LRP) and Retina (KME) Services, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston; and the Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine (NF).

Background: Prostaglandin F₂ analogues are effective intraocular-pressure-lowering drugs. Dietary fatty acids affect endogenous prostaglandin F₂ concentrations and may thus influence intraocular pressure.

Objective: We prospectively examined dietary fat consumption in relation to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Design: Women (n = 76 199 in the Nurses’ Health Study) and men (n = 40 306 in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study) free of POAG in 1980 and 1986, respectively, were followed until 1996 if they were 40 y old and reported receiving eye exams during follow-up. Potential confounders were assessed on biennial questionnaires, and energy-adjusted cumulative averaged fat intakes were measured by using validated food-frequency questionnaires. We analyzed 474 self-reported POAG cases confirmed by medical chart review. Cohort-specific multivariate rate ratios (RRs) were obtained by using proportional hazards models and were then pooled.

Results: Major fats and fat subtypes were not independently associated with POAG risk. Pooled multivariate RRs (95% CI) for POAG comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of fat intake were as follows: 0.90 (0.67, 1.21) for total fat, 1.03 (0.77, 1.38) for saturated fat, 0.76 (0.56, 1.03) for monounsaturated fat, and 0.87 (0.66, 1.16) for polyunsaturated fat, none of which were statistically significant. We found a suggestive positive association between a higher ratio of n–3 to n–6 polyunsaturated fat and risk of POAG [RR = 1.49 (1.11, 2.01); P for trend = 0.10], which was stronger for high-tension POAG [RR = 1.68 (1.18, 2.39); P for trend = 0.009].

Conclusion: A high ratio of n–3 to n–6 polyunsaturated fat appears to increase the risk of POAG, particularly high-tension POAG. Further studies are needed.

Key Words: Primary open-angle glaucoma • dietary fats • unsaturated fatty acids • food-frequency questionnaire • Nurses’ Health Study • Health Professionals Follow-Up Study • prospective studies

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Skarie and B. A. Link The Primary open-angle glaucoma gene WDR36 functions in ribosomal RNA processing and interacts with the p53 stress-response pathway Hum. Mol. Genet., August 15, 2008; 17(16): 2474 - 2485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. T. O. Nguyen, B. V. Bui, A. J. Sinclair, and A. J. Vingrys Dietary Omega 3 Fatty Acids Decrease Intraocular Pressure with Age by Increasing Aqueous Outflow Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., February 1, 2007; 48(2): 756 - 762. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]