Diet matters: Culprit foods that raise risk of AMD in Asians

A diet heavy in deep-fried foods, sweet snacks, and white rice, among others, may contribute to the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in older Singaporeans, as shown in a local study.

In a multiethnic cohort of older adults, higher scores on the “Snacks, Fried Foods, and Refined Carbohydrates” dietary pattern correlated with 41-percent increased odds of having any AMD (odds ratio [OR], 1.41, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.96; p=0.038) and 63-percent increased odds of having early AMD (OR, 1.63, 95 percent CI, 1.12–2.37; p=0.011). [Ophthalmologica 2026;doi:10.1159/000550522]

When stratified into quartiles, the “Snacks, Fried Foods, and Refined Carbohydrates” pattern scores in the highest vs lowest quartile was associated with twofold higher odds of any AMD (OR, 2.18, 95 percent CI, 1.01–4.72; p=0.048).

The “Snacks, Fried Foods, and Refined Carbohydrates” pattern was characterized by higher intake of sweet snacks, fried snacks, deep fried/curried with coconut meat, fast food, stir fried/boiled/grilled potatoes, white rice, as well as lower intake of brown and mixed rice.

Deep fried or curried with coconut foods are high in saturated fats, while sweet snacks, stir fried/boiled/grilled potatoes, and white rice have high glycaemic index values, the authors noted. These foods potentially raise AMD risk by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation, which could promote the development of drusen, they explained.

The study suggests that limiting adherence to the “Snacks, Fried Foods, and Refined Carbohydrates” can help mitigate the risk of AMD, according to the authors, who also acknowledged that additional prospective, longitudinal data are needed.

If validated, the findings could inform clinical care guidelines for AMD in Singapore, they added.

The study included 1,480 participants (mean age 71.3 years, 51.1 percent female, 50 percent Chinese) in the Population Health and Eye Disease Profile in Elderly Singaporeans study. The age-standardized prevalence of any, early, and late AMD were 7.1 percent, 4.8 percent, and 2.2 percent, respectively. Participants with any AMD tended to be older, have higher systolic blood pressure levels, and have had cataract in the past.

All participants completed an interviewer-administered 110-item web-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Analysis of the FFQ data revealed three dietary patterns, as follows: the “Snacks, Fried Foods, and Refined Carbohydrates” pattern, the “Poultry, Meat, and Fish” pattern, and the “Wholemeal Bread, Legumes, and Nuts” pattern.

The “Poultry, Meat, and Fish” pattern represented a diet with a higher intake of poultry, meat and fish that are stir fried/boiled/grilled; other seafood and canned fish; preserved meat; dim sum; and noodles in soup. On the other hand, the “Bread, Legumes, and Nuts” pattern was characterized by higher intake of wholemeal bread, legumes and nuts, and yoghurt.

No significant associations were observed between the “Poultry, Meat, and Fish” and “Bread, Legumes, and Nuts” patterns and any AMD or any stage of AMD. Among the quartiles of dietary pattern scores, the second vs first quartile of the “Poultry, Meat, and Fish” pattern score was significantly associated with late AMD (OR, 3.04, 95 percent CI, 1.18–7.87; p=0.022).

The authors noted that while the point estimate indicated a possible nonlinear association, “it was difficult to confirm the relationship given the limited late AMD cases in the analysis.”

They highlighted the need for additional investigation to establish the associations between dietary patterns and AMD and progression to late or wet AMD.