Antioxidant intake and risk of incident age-related nuclear cataracts in the Beaver Dam Eye Study

The relation of antioxidant nutrients to the incidence of nuclear cataracts was investigated in a cohort of adults aged 43-84 years in the Beaver Dam Eye Study (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin). Nuclear opacity was assessed on a five-p oint ordinal scale using lens photographs taken at baseline (1988-1990) and at follow-up (1993-1995). Of the 1,354 persons eligible, 246 developed a n uclear cataract (level 4 or 5 opacity) in at least one eye. Antioxidant int akes were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire administered at bas eline for time points corresponding to intake during the year preceding bas eline and 10 years before baseline (the distant past). Lutein-zeaxanthin wa s the only carotenoid, out of five examined, that was associated with nucle ar cataracts, Persons in the highest quintile of lutein intake in the dista nt past were half as likely to have an incident cataract as persons in the lowest quintile of intake (95% confidence interval 0.3-0.8). In the overall group, nuclear cataracts were not significantly related to intake of vitam in C or vitamin E. However, vitamins C and E were inversely associated with opacities in persons who had some other risk factors for cataracts. While results of this short term follow-up study are consistent with a possible p rotective influence of lutein and vitamins E and C on the development of nu clear cataracts, the evidence in the present study provides weak support fo r these associations.