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The association between healthy eating index and serum antioxidant indices in patients with different degrees of cataract compared to healthy subjects: a case-control study

Naeimeh Heidari (Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran)
Masoumeh Jabbari (Student Research Committee, Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Mina Babashahi (Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Reza Nabie (Nikookari Eye Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran)
Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi (Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran)
Seyed Rafie Arefhosseini (Department of Nutritional Biochemistry, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 7 July 2020

Issue publication date: 19 February 2021

103

Abstract

Purpose

Studies conducted on association between diet and cataract, found conflicting results. This paper aims to investigate the association between healthy eating index (HEI) and serum antioxidant and oxidant indices in patients with different degrees of cataract compared to the healthy subjects.

Design/methodology/approach

Ninety volunteers (aged > 50 years) were divided into the cataract (n = 45) and healthy control (n = 45) groups in this case-control study. Anthropometric variables, HEI score, serum total oxidant capacity (TOC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), blood pressure, physical activity and stress measurements were done for all participants.

Findings

There was a significant difference in stress level between subgroup of first-degree cataract and healthy controls (16.6 ± 2.3 vs 42.5 ± 29.0, p < 0.001) as well as third-degree cataract (16.6 ± 2.3 vs 75.2 ± 22.6, p < 0.001). Serum TAC was significantly higher in healthy people compared to the first-degree (1.2 ± 0.2 vs 1 ± 0.2, p = 0.002) and third-degree cataract patients (1.2 ± 0.2 vs 1.0 ± 0.2, p = 0.013). Also, serum TOC was significantly lower in healthy controls compared to the first-degree (8.2 ± 1.1 vs 9.2 ± 1.0, p = 0.006) and third-degree cataract patients (8.2 ± 1.1 vs 9.1 ± 1.2, p = 0.015). There was a significant direct correlation between moderation (r = 0.61, p = 0.019) and total score of HEI (r = 0.57, p = 0.031) with serum TAC only in the first-degree cataract patients. Also there was a significant negative correlation between moderation score of HEI with serum TOC in the first-degree cataract patients (r = −0.60, p = 0.025), and there was a significant negative correlation between moderation (r = −0.36, p = 0.017) and total score (r=−0.35, p = 0.021) of HEI and TOC in the total cataract patients.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on the assessment of the relationship between components of HEI and serum antioxidant indicators in different types of cataract compared to healthy individuals. It could be a start point for more detailed and large-scaled studies, even intervention studies, in this field.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Data presented in this article are results of the MSc thesis in Health Sciences in Nutrition. This research was supported by School of Nutrition and Food sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding: This research supported by Research Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Citation

Heidari, N., Jabbari, M., Babashahi, M., Nabie, R., Asghari Jafarabadi, M. and Arefhosseini, S.R. (2021), "The association between healthy eating index and serum antioxidant indices in patients with different degrees of cataract compared to healthy subjects: a case-control study", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 51 No. 2, pp. 426-438. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2020-0153

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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