Abstract
Pre-senile cataract is the opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye before the age of 50 years. Recently, the incidence of early-onset cataracts has been on the rise. It is closely linked with oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency. To identify the relationship between serum antioxidant levels (vitamin E and glutathione) and the occurrence of pre-senile cataract, to measure serum vitamin E and glutathione levels in patients with pre-senile cataract and compare them with those of people without a cataract, to determine the effect of dietary habits and socioeconomic status on pre-senile cataract patients and identify the relationship between anthropometric measurements and occurrence of pre-senile cataract, a retrospective case–control study was conducted at an eye hospital in Gaza City. The study consisted of 44 cases of pre-senile cataract patients and 44 cases of region-, sex-, and age-matched controls. Data collection was performed by direct methods that included anthropometric measurement and serum vitamin E and glutathione levels and indirect methods through a structured interview questionnaire. SPSS software version 24 was used to analyze the data. Regarding serum antioxidant status, serum vitamin E and glutathione levels in pre-senile cataract patients were equal to those of healthy controls. The majority of patients were illiterate, married women. An increase in body weight and obesity had a strong association with pre-senile cataract formation. Concerning dietary factors, a high intake of fruits, meat and meat products, starchy food (grains), and healthy snacks was inversely correlated with pre-senile cataract. A direct relationship between vitamin E and glutathione was found. The study concluded that pre-senile cataract is a multifactorial disease and many risk factors (dietary factors, socio-economic factors, medical factors, and anthropometrics factors) play a role in pre-senile cataract formation.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, S.F.A. and M.O.J.; methodology, M.O.J. and K.M.W.; software, S.F.A. and M.O.J.; validation, S.F.A., M.O.J. and K.M.W.; formal analysis, M.O.J.; investigation, M.O.J.; resources, S.F.A.; data curation, S.F.A. and M.O.J.; writing—original draft preparation, S.F.A.; writing—review and editing, S.F.A., M.O.J. and K.M.W.; visualization, S.F.A. and M.O.J.; supervision, M.O.J. and K.M.W.; project administration, M.O.J. and K.M.W.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all study sample involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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