The Relationship Between Anthropometric Measures And Age-related Cataract

ObjectiveThe objective of the present study is to investigate the status ofepidemiology of visual impairment suggestive of surgically treated age-relatedcataract (ARC) and to explore the association between socio-demographiccharacteristics, anthropometric measures, lifestyle habits, dietary factors,personal medical history, and development of ARC in middle aged and elderlymen.MethodsA hospital based case-control study was conducted between April2010andOctober2011, including360male aged45~85years’ residents who had beensurgically treated on account of ARC which was histopathologically examined toconfirm a final diagnosis in Jinzhou as case group. A total of360patients whohad been admitted to the same hospitals for many different diseases not relatedto cataract or others eye diseases which lead to decreased vision were used ascontrols. Controls in the same hospital for acute, non-neoplastic, non-metabolicdiseases were included in the study.All subjects were interviewed during theirhospital stay, using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire thatincluded information on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits andphysical activity. Meanwhile, height, weight, waist and hip circumference ofpatients were measured, body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR)were calculated simultaneously. SPSS13.0statistical analysis software was used to analyze the mean and frequency among various groups, and to detectthe correlation of these presumed risk factors and development of ARC. Oddsratios (OR) and corresponding95%confidence intervals (95%CI) of ARC foranthropometric measures risk factors were estimated using single andmultivariable logistic regression models. The association between waistcircumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and thepresence of ARC was assessed.Results1. In total,720valid questionnaires for each cases and controls entered thestudy. The mean age of cases and controls was69.20±10.39and69.62±10.93.Socio-demographic characteristics analysis showed that there were nonoticeable differences in age, gender, race, residence, education, occupationand economic status between the two groups (P>0.05).2. Higher BMI was positively related to ARC. Overweight (BMI24.00~27.99)and obesity (BMI≥28.00) were associated with a significantly increased risk forARC (OR=1.587,95%CI:1.135~2.218, P=0.007and OR=2.315,95%CI:1.369~3.914, P=0.002respectively). The risks of ARC in the highest quartile ofBMI for cases (16.96~21.16) were significantly increased as compared withcontrols in the lowest quartile of BMI (25.11~32.18)(OR=2.64,95%CI:1.88~3.65, P=0.003).3. Central obesity was positively related with ARC, compared with WHR <0.9for men and <0.88for women, WHR≥0.9for men (OR=1.689,95%CI:1.496~2.538, P=0.006) and≥0.88for women (OR=1.534,95%CI:1.183~2.345,P=0.019) were positively related to ARC, therefore significant difference wasnoticed in the two groups (P <0.05).4. Hypertension was positively related with ARC (OR=1.573,95%CI:1.145~2.161, P=0.005). Systolic blood pressure was positively related to ARConly among the men with a systolic blood pressure of180mmHg or more (OR =2.812,95%CI:1.450~5.455, P=0.002). The duration of hypertension wasassociated with an increased risk of ARC, especially those men for10~20yearsor more (OR=1.867,95%CI:1.053~3.307, P=0.033).Hypertension had no noticeable correlation with ARC among the normal BMI(18.50~23.99) subjects. However, as BMI (24.00~27.99) increased,hypertension was associated with a significantly increased risk for surgicallytreated ARC (OR=1.991,95%CI:1.160~3.419, P=0.012). For obese people(BMI≥28.00), there are apparent relationships beteewn hypertension and ARC(OR=2.000,95%CI:1.747~5.355, P=0.165).Conclusions1. The results showed that central obesity is an important risk factor ofclinical ARC. So, keeping normal weight may be of benefit to ARC.2For men of overweight or obesity, hypertension was associated with asignificantly increased risk for surgically ARC, therefore, maintaining normalblood pressure was likely to contribute to protective action for clinical ARC.3. The history and duration of Hypertension in middle aged and elderlypeople could significantly increase the odds of ARC, on the contrary ridingbicycle and physical activity may be the protective factors of clinical ARC.Although ARC and visual impairment may be viewed as an inevitableconsequence of ageing, it appears to be exacerbated by lifestyle factors. ARCcan be effectively prevented by means of improving diet habit and life style andmaintaining normal BMI and WHR level.