Higher body fat elevates risks for age-related ocular diseases

BOSTON — Higher adiposity, especially around the waist and abdomen, predicts an increased risk for age-related eye diseases such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration, Harvard researchers have found.

Johanna M. Seddon, MD, and colleagues studied 261 people with early stage AMD and determined that a higher level of body fat resulted in a predicted increased risk of disease progression, a Harvard University press release said.

Previously discussed modifiable risk factors for AMD include low fruit and vegetable intake, smoking and exposure to ultraviolet light, the release noted. The amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina is measured as macular pigment density, the release said. Higher amounts have been correlated with a reduced AMD risk, but higher body mass has been correlated with a lower level of macular pigment.

The researchers said a “higher amount of body fat provides a larger ‘sink’ for lutein and zeaxanthin deposition, making them less available for the retina.” In addition, people with excess body fat “may be at a higher risk of developing AMD,” the release said.

“If they already have early stage AMD, they are at a higher risk of progressing to late stage AMD,” the release said. “There is also some evidence higher body fat may elevate the risk for cataracts.”