body fat and macular pigment optical density (MPOD)

[Guest guest]

If I am reading this article correctly it says the fatter you are

the less risk you have to of developing age-related maculopathy, or,

is it the opposite?

Here's the link:

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256E8

6007156CA

Here's the article:

DGDispatch

ARVO: Study Finds Link Between Body Fat and Macular Pigmentation

By Mike Fillon

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- April 30, 2004 -- The higher the percentage

of body fat, the less likely someone will be to have inadequate

macular pigmentation, which protects against age-related maculopathy

(ARM.), according to study results presented here on April 27th in a

poster session at the Association for Research in Vision and

Ophthalmology Annual Meeting.

There have been many risk factors for ARM, including age, female

gender, obesity, light iris color, smoking, family history, low

dietary, and blood levels of arytenoids, according to presenter Orla

O'Donovan, PhD, Chemical & Life Sciences Department., Waterford

Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland, United Kingdom,.

To investigate the relationship between the percentage of body fat,

serum concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin, and MPOD, Dr.

O'Donovan and colleagues enrolled 100 healthy Caucasian subjects

between the ages of 22 and 60 years. Subjects answered a

questionnaire of 166 specific foods or food types divided into 19

groups.

The researchers extracted serum L and Z with heptane using

tocopherol acetate as an internal standard. Macular pigment optical

density (MPOD) was measured psychophysically using a maculometer.

Body composition measurements were calculated using dual energy x-

ray absorptiometry, callipers for skinfold thickness, bioelectric

impedance absorptiometry -- which is used to estimate body

composition including percentage body fat, lean body mass and total

body water. Waist-hip ratio and body mass index (BMI) were also

measured for all subjects.

The researchers discovered MPOD was positively and significantly

related to serum levels of lutein and to dietary intake of

zeaxanthin. Dietary fat intake was inversely related to serum lutein

and zeaxanthin -- and significantly for lutein -- but was not

related to MPOD.

" As a result, we have confirmed a gender-independent, significant

and inverse relationship between percentage body fat and [MPOD],

which is attenuated to borderline significance when corrected for

age, " said Dr. O'Donovan. " Measures of body fat showed high levels

of agreement, and an easily demonstrable inverse relationship with

[MPOD] when compared with measures of body composition such as BMI

and waist-hip ratio, indicating that measures of adiposity should be

used for further study. "

Dr. O'Donovan said the study also showed dietary and serum levels of

lutein and zeaxanthin are significantly and positively related to

MPOD, but significantly and inversely related to adiposity. She said

the results also demonstrated an inverse relationship between

dietary intake of fat and serum levels of lutein and zeaxanthin.

" All of our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a

relative lack of macular pigment, or serum [lutein] and/or

[zeaxanthin], may underlie the increased risk of progression of ARM

associated with dietary and body fat, " she said.

[Presentation title: " Advances in Imaging and Macular Pigments I

Macular pigment optical density, and serum and dietary lutein and

zeaxanthin, in healthy subjects with and without a family history of

Age - Related Maculopathy. " Poster #B-602]