Abstract
Purpose: :
We evaluated the frequency and duration of multivitamin and high dose antioxidant use in women ages 53–86 years (N=1802) from Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, Madison, Wisconsin, Iowa City, Iowa, Portland, Oregon on the prevalence of nuclear cataract.
Methods: :
Nuclear sclerosis (NS) was assessed by slit–lamp photography in CAREDS study visits in 2001–2004. NS severity > 4 (CAREDS scale) in worse eye was considered as nuclear cataract. The presence of cataract alone or plus self–reported cataract extractions (n=733) were the two outcomes. Supplement use was assessed by self–report. Multivitamin use was defined as one multivitamin or more each week for at least two years. High dose antioxidant use was defined as at least two of the following daily doses for at least two years: beta carotene ≥ 10,000 IU, Vitamin E ≥ 60 IU, Vitamin C ≥ 120 mg. Odds ratios (OR) for cataract were computed by adjusting for age, or other risk factors (age, smoking status, iris color, physical activity, hormone replacement status, pulse pressure, and body mass index). A total of 733 women had nuclear cataract or self–reported cataract extraction.
Results: :
Multivitamin use was mildly associated with a lower prevalence of nuclear cataract [age–adjusted OR = 0.82, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.66–1.01], but the marginal association was attenuated after adjusting for other risk factors (OR = 0.86, CI 0.69–1.07). High dose antioxidant use either singly or in combination with multivitamins was not associated with nuclear cataract adjusted for age (OR = 0.94, CI 0.73–1.19) or other risk factors (OR = 1.02, CI 0.79–1.33). Duration of multivitamin use was not significantly associated with cataract with extraction (likelihood ratio test: P = 0.17). Odds ratios for nuclear cataract, without extraction, were similar, but were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: :
The lower prevalence of nuclear cataract that has been repeatedly associated with use of multivitamin supplements, in numerous previous study samples, was not significant in this sample of relatively health conscious older women.
Keywords: cataract • nutritional factors • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment