Relationship of dietary fat to age-related maculopathy in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objective: To evaluate the associations between dietary fat and age-related maculopathy (ARM) in persons 40 years or older who participated in the Thi rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: We used a single, nonmydriatic, fundus photograph of 1 eye to asce rtain ARM status in 7883 of 11448 survey participants. intake of fat was es timated from 24-hour recall, and specific sources of dietary fat were estim ated from responses to food frequency questionnaires. Logistic regression w as used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cls) tha t accounted for complex survey design, nonresponse, and potential risk fact ors for ARM (age, smoking, race, sex, body mass index, history of cardiovas cular disease or hypertension, eye color, and sedentary lifestyle). Persons aged 40 to 79 years (n=7405) were included in analyses for early ARM (n=64 4); those 60 years or older (n=4294) were included in analyses for late ARM (n=53). Results: After adjustment for age, race, eye color, and sedentary lifestyle , OR for early ARM was 1.4 (95% Cl, 0.9-2.2; P for trend,. 10) among person s in high vs low quintiles of total fat intake (percentage of total energy) . Associations for specific types of fatty acids (as percentages of caloric intake) were in the same direction and unrelated to ARM. The OR for late A RM was 0.7 (95% CI, 0.2-2.6; P for trend, .60) in persons 60 years or older . Further adjustments for other potential confounders did Hot significantly affect the ORs. Conclusion: Age-related maculopathy was not significantly associated with d ietary fat in this large cross-sectional survey.