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Tos T. J. M. Berendschot, PhD; Wendy M. R. Broekmans, PhD; Ineke A. A. Klöpping-Ketelaars, MD, PhD; Alwine F. M. Kardinaal, PhD; Geert van Poppel, PhD; Dirk van Norren, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:1732-1737.

Objective  To investigate whether nutritional factors and possible risk factors for cataract influence the lens optical density (LOD).

Design  Three hundred seventy-six subjects, aged 18 to 75 years, were recruited. In a cross-sectional design, serum was analyzed for lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, -tocopherol, and cholesterol levels. Adipose tissue (n = 187) was analyzed for lutein level. The LOD and the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) were measured by spectral fundus reflectance.

Results  The mean ± SD LOD at 420 nm was 0.52 ± 0.17. It showed a significant association with age ( = .008, P<001) and MPOD ( = -.096, P = .02). For subjects 50 years and younger (mean ± SD LOD, 0.45 ± 0.11), we found only a single significant coefficient, for age ( = .006, P<.001). For subjects older than 50 years (mean ± SD LOD, 0.68 ± 0.16), we found significant coefficients for age ( = .011, P<.001) and MPOD ( = -.240, P = .005). Controlling for age, we found no associations between LOD and other possible risk factors for age-related cataract or serum or adipose tissue concentrations of carotenoids, vitamin C, and -tocopherol.

Conclusions  Macular pigment is composed of lutein and zeaxanthin, the only carotenoids found in human lenses. The inverse relationship between LOD and MPOD suggests that lutein and zeaxanthin may retard aging of the lens.

From the Department of Ophthalmology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht (Drs Berendschot and van Norren); the Department of Nutritional Physiology, TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist (Drs Broekmans, Klöpping-Ketelaars, and Kardinaal); the Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research Centre (Ms Broekmans), and TNO-Wageningen University Centre for Micronutrient Research (Drs Broekmans and Kardinaal), Wageningen; Unilever Health Institute, Vlaardingen (Dr van Poppel); and TNO Human Factors, Soesterberg (Dr van Norren), the Netherlands.

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