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  • Intermittent Fasting May Lower AMD Risk

    By Lynda Seminara
    Selected by Richard K. Parrish II, MD
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    Journal Highlights

    American Journal of Ophthalmology, November 2022

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    Intermittent fasting has been successful in preventing and treating various con­ditions, primarily those of a metabolic and cardiovascular nature. Skipping breakfast is a popular form of intermit­tent fasting and has been investigated in several studies. Choi et al. used data from the nationwide Korean health and nutrition survey to explore the effect of skipping breakfast on the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They found that AMD risk was significantly lower for people who refrained from eating breakfast. The effect was most pronounced in those who were obese, were younger than age 70 years, and lived in urban areas.

    For this cross-sectional study, the investigators gathered data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). People older than 54 years who pro­vided detailed information, including meal frequency and fundus images, were identified from the 2015-2018 KNHANES database. These individuals were assigned to one of two groups based on breakfast frequency in the preceding year: nearly zero times per week (intermittent fasting group) or five to seven times per week (nonfast­ing group). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to explore rela­tionships between breakfast frequency and the AMD risk factors noted on fundus photographs. Subset analyses were performed on demographic and lifestyle factors.

    The intermittent fasting group included 4,003 participants, while only 183 people were in the nonfasting group. Those who skipped breakfast were somewhat younger and were less likely to have hypertension, dyslipid­emia, or diabetes. Among the entire study population, AMD was identified in 25.1%. The proportion of partic­ipants with AMD was significantly lower for fasters (14.2% vs. 25.6%; p = .001), which translated to a lower risk of AMD development relative to nonfasters (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.413), especially in those under 70 years of age (aOR, 0.357), those with obesity (aOR, 0.663), and residents of urban areas (aOR, 0.437). Indepen­dent risk factors for AMD were older age (aOR, 1.058) and elevated serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (aOR, 1.011). Smoking, anemia, and hepatitis B did not significantly affect AMD risk. Although some experts consider larger waist circumference to be a risk factor for AMD, it seemed to lower AMD risk in this study.

    The original article can be found here.