Related Experiment Videos
Age-related nuclear lens opacities are associated with reduced growth before 1 year of age
J R Evans1, A Rauf, A Aihie Sayer
1Glaxo Department of Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Institute of Ophthalmology (University College London) and Moorfields Eye Hospital, Uinted Kingdom.
Insights
Infant weight at one year, not birthweight, is linked to adult nuclear lens opacities. Higher infant weight correlates with reduced risk of developing significant nuclear lens opacities later in life.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Age-related lens opacities, a leading cause of vision impairment, are influenced by various factors.
- Understanding early life growth influences on later eye health is crucial for preventative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early life growth (birthweight and weight at 1 year) and the development of age-related lens opacities.
- To determine if fetal and infant growth parameters predict the presence and severity of nuclear lens opacities in adulthood.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 717 individuals born in Hertfordshire, UK (1920-1930) underwent ophthalmic examinations.
- Lens opacities were graded using the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS) III after tropicamide dilation.
- Birthweight and weight at 1 year data were analyzed in relation to nuclear opacity scores.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between birthweight and nuclear lens opacities.
- Weight at 1 year showed a negative correlation with nuclear opacity score in adulthood (P=0.001).
- Individuals in the highest tertile of weight at 1 year had a significantly lower odds of developing significant nuclear lens opacities compared to those in the lowest tertile, even after adjusting for confounders.
Conclusions:
- This study suggests that infant weight at 1 year, but not birthweight, is associated with a reduced risk of adult nuclear lens opacities.
- These findings require replication in diverse populations and may contribute to understanding cataract risk factors, particularly in developing countries.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between fetal and infant growth, as measured by birthweight and weight at 1 year and the development of age-related lens opacities.
Methods:
A total of 1428 men and women who were born in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, between 1920 and 1930, and for whom records of birthweight and weight at 1 year were available, were traced and invited for examination. Of these, 717 (50%) attended for ophthalmic examination. After dilation with tropicamide 1%, lens opacities were graded using the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS) III.
Results:
In this population of English men and women aged 64 to 74 years, most opacities were of the nuclear type. There was no association between birthweight and nuclear lens opacities. Weight at 1 year was negatively correlated with nuclear opacity score in adult life (P=0.001). Subjects in the highest tertile for weight at 1 year (>23 pounds) had an odds ratio of 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.17 to 0.74) for having a significant nuclear lens opacity (LOCS score of > or = 3) compared with people in the lowest tertile for weight at 1 year (<21 pounds). This association remained after controlling for age, sex, smoking, social class, adult height, and diabetes.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, this is the first time that such an association has been reported; it needs to be replicated in other populations. It could provide part of the explanation for the observed excess risk of cataract in developing countries.