Abstract
Purpose :
In numerous epidemiological studies, omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been associated with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Beyond their structural, functional and neuroprotective roles, omega 3 PUFAs may favor the retinal accumulation of lutein and zeaxanthin and thus increase macular pigment optical density (MPOD). We examined the associations of MPOD with plasma omega 3 PUFAs in subjects with at least one parent affected by neovascular AMD.
Methods :
The Limpia study is a double-blind, placebo controlled, prospective randomized clinical trial performed in 120 subjects. Subjects with at least one parent affected by neovascular AMD, aged 40-70, with a best corrected visual acuity >20/25, free of late AMD and other major eye conditions and with no use of supplement containing lutein or zeaxanthin the preceding year were recruited in Bordeaux and Dijon, France.
MPOD within 1° was measured at baseline by modified Heidelberg retinal analyzer (Heidelberg, Germany). Omega 3 PUFAs (alpha linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA)) from plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) were measured by gas chromatography. Medical history and lifestyle data were collected from a face to face standardized questionnaire.
Associations of MPOD with plasma omega 3 PUFAs were assessed at the baseline examination, using mixed linear models adjusted for age, sex, center, body mass index, smoking, plasma HDL-cholesterol and plasma lutein+zeaxanthin.
Results :
Among 120 subjects included in the Limpia study, 115 had complete data for our analyses. After multivariate adjustment, high MPOD was significantly associated with higher level of plasma DPA measured in PC (beta=0.187, 95%CI: 0.021,0.354; p=0.03). Plasma ALA, EPA and DHA measured in PC were not significantly associated with MPOD.
Conclusions :
In the Limpia study, high MPOD within 1° was significantly associated with higher levels of DPA measured in plasma phosphatidylcholine.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.