Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40765005›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of medical research2025

Association between dietary theobromine and age-related macular degeneration: results from NHANES 2005-2008 and in vitro experiments.

Ning An, Hongxia Liao, Chuanhe Zhang, Bing Zeng, Ziling Liu, Deshuang Li, Jianguo Huang, Dongcheng Liu, Bo Qin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ning AnShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Hongxia LiaoShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Chuanhe ZhangShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Bing ZengShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Ziling LiuShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Deshuang LiShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Jianguo HuangShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
Dongcheng LiuShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China. ldc2025@163.com.
Bo QinShenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China. qinbozf@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the relationship between theobromine and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using a nationwide representative sample of adults and in vitro experiments.

methodsWe analyzed data from the 2005-2008 years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 5485 participants with available data on dietary theobromine intake and AMD. Multivariable logistic regression and smoothing curve fitting were used to examine the potential correlations. The inflection point was determined using a two-piecewise linear regression. Interaction tests and subgroup analyses were also conducted. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of theobromine on cell proliferation, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) in a sodium iodate (NaIO

resultsAfter controlling for potential confounding variables, the multivariate logistic regression model revealed an odds ratio of 0.73 (95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.98) for the association between dietary theobromine and AMD. The usage of smoothing curve fitting revealed a non-linear relationship, with an inflection point observed at 60 mg/d (adjust OR 0.31;95% CI 0.14-0.66). The negative correlation remained consistent across various demographic scenarios in subgroup analyses and interaction tests. In the NaIO

conclusionsA non-linear negative correlation between dietary theobromine and AMD was observed, and the antioxidant activity of theobromine was observed in vitro. Our findings suggest a potential association between higher theobromine intake and lower odds of AMD prevalence, which warrants further investigation of its therapeutic implications.

Indexed as

DietMacular DegenerationTheobromineAdultAgedCell ProliferationFemaleHeme Oxygenase-1HumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysReactive Oxygen SpeciesSuperoxide Dismutase-1Heme Oxygenase-1Reactive Oxygen SpeciesSuperoxide Dismutase-1TheobromineAge-related macular degenerationAntioxidantARPE-19Dietary theobromineNHANES

Identifiers

PMID40765005
PMCPMC12323205

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.