Analysis of the association between high antioxidant diet and lifestyle habits and diabetic retinopathy based on NHANES cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in increasing the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR). The oxidative balance score (OBS) and the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) are two tools for assessing the effects of diet and lifestyle on oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between OBS, CDAI and the occurrence of DR. After controlling for potential confounders, OBS was negatively associated with DR with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.976 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.956-0.996, suggesting that for every unit increase in OBS, the risk of DR was reduced by 2.4%. In contrast, the relationship between OBS and CDAI was not significant (P > 0.05), suggesting that it was OBS, not CDAI, that contributed to the reduced risk of diabetic retinopathy. After adjusting for potential confounders, OBS was negatively associated with DR (OR 0.976; 95% CI 0.956-0.996), but this association was not found in CDAI (P > 0.05), suggesting that for every one-unit increase in OBS, there was a 2.4% reduction in the risk of developing DR. This study suggests that a diet and lifestyle high in OBS reduces the risk of developing DR, which provides a rationale for nutritional interventions to prevent DR.