High Carbohydrate Intake
Effects Eye Health and Life Expectancy
| High Carbohydrate Intake Effects Eye Health and Life Expectancy |
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| Date: October 1, 2006 | |
| The development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts have recently been found to be associated with diets high in carbohydrates according to two separate studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Carbohydrates are a food that has a high glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly individual foods will raise the body's blood sugar level. Foods with a high glycemic index are rapidly absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The first study, in the April issue of the journal, looked at 1,036 women enrolled in the Nutrition and Vision Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. None of the women had an AMD diagnosis prior to enrollment. Dietary data was based on information from food-frequency questionnaires collected over a 10-year period before any macular degeneration assessment. Results showed that patients who regularly ate foods with a high glycemic index over this ten year period almost all developed early age-related macular degeneration. Specific foods were not listed however, were referred to as simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are found in processed foods and anything with refined sugar added. The second study, in the May issue, looked at dietary information obtained from a food-frequency questionnaire given to 3,377 non-diabetic subjects (56% of whom were women) ages 60-80 years. Subjects were divided into three categories based on their dietary glycemic index or total carbohydrate consumption. Twenty-five percent of the subjects were placed in the highest intake category, 50% were placed in the middle intake category, and 25% were placed in the lowest intake category. Results showed that for those participants in the highest carbohydrate intake, the dietary glycemic index was linked with a higher incidence of cataracts. The researchers surmise that foods containing a higher glycemic index may advance damage to the naturally clear lens of the eye exposing this tissue to glucose for longer periods. A third study, in the July 18th Annals of Internal Medicine showed that patients who have early-stage age-related macular degeneration are almost twice as likely to have a stroke versus those who do not have the eye disease. The study, conducted by The Centre for Eye Research Australia in Melbourne, looked at 10,405 individual's ages 49 to 73. None of the individuals had a history of stroke or coronary heart disease. Retinal photos taken between 1993 and 1995 revealed that 498 of the individuals had early-stage macular degeneration, and 10 patients had the late stage of the disease. During a 10-year period, 241 individuals had a stroke. After adjusting for age, race, and sex, those who had early-stage AMD demonstrated to have a higher cumulative incidence of stroke than those who did not have the condition (4.08% vs. 2.14%). In addition, the presence of early-stage AMD was linked to a higher risk for stroke even after adjusting for systolic blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and use of high blood pressure medications. In other words, when they factored out those patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and those who smoked, the incidence of stroke in patients with early AMD was still double. These studies suggest two important factors. A large majority of us need to significantly increase our efforts in prescribing adherence to the new and improved 2005 USDA Food Triangle, which emphasizes a reduction in simple carbohydrates. Also, we need to have yearly eye health exams to rule out beginning stages of macular degeneration. Please contact our offices with questions concerning these topics in Stillwater at 405-372-1715 or Pawnee at 918-762-2573. |
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