Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To investigate the effect of alcohol intake on five year’s incidence of cataract in the Icelandic population ≥50 yrs old. Methods: Of the 1045 subjects who participated in the Reykjavik Eye Study in 1996, 846 (376 males and 470 females, Mean age 69.1±9.0 years old) or 88.2% of the 959 survivors were reexamined five years later in 2001. Classification of the three main types of opacity was determined from photographed images using the WHO system. Cases with any of the three main types of lens opacity grade 1 and over and those with pseudophakia or aphakia were judged as cataract. For analysis of three types, the eyes with aphakia or pseudophakia were excluded. The details of alcohol consumption were assessed by questionnaire. Alcohol consumption was characterized as lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, drinkers of less than one drink a month and those that drank more than twice a month. The latter were defined as drinkers. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, smoking, systemic steroid and diabetes. Results: The proportion of drinker was 37.6% and 94.2% of them were moderate drinkers. Age adjusted five year’s incidence of any types of cataract was 22.0% in drinkers (23.0%, 19.0% and 13.0% in beer, brown liquor and wine drinkers, respectively) and 32.2% in non–drinkers. A decreased risk of any type of cataract was found in wine drinkers (risk ratio [RR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.80, p<0.01). A decreased risk of cortical cataract was also found in wine drinkers ([RR], 0.49; 0.24–0.91, p=0.03). No significant association was found for beer and spirits drinkers. Although a decreased risk of nuclear cataract was found in drinkers ([RR], 0.45; 0.20–0.90, p=0.03), no significant association was seen for specific type of drink. No significant association was found for posterior subcapsular cataract. Conclusions: Wine intake decreased the risk of incidence of cataract, in particular cortical cataract. Alcohol intake reduced the risk of incidence of nuclear cataract.
Keywords: cataract • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence