Smoking is Associated with Blindness, Researchers Report

According to the British Journal of Ophthalmology, smoking is associated with an increased risk of becoming blind later in life. Although the link between smoking and poor eyesight was found long ago, new studies confirm that smoking can lead to poor vision and even blindness due to the age-related disease known as AMD, or muscular degeneration of the eye.

In fact, smoking is associated with at least a double increase in the risk of developing muscular degeneration, a serious and irreversible eye disease that potentially leads to blindness. British researchers estimate that, currently, more than 30,000 Brits suffer from blindness caused by smoking-related AMD. The total number of people in the UK who are diagnosed with blindness in relation to AMD is over 200,000. Muscular degeneration is an eye condition that develops with age and mostly effects elderly population.

A close connection between smoking and blindness was observed in the course of study that involved more than 4,000 elderly Brits from different parts of the country. The age of participants was 75 and older. All subjects were asked to undergo a number of thorough eye examinations. They also reported in detail about their current and past smoking habits.

After taking into consideration such additional risk factors as heart disease and alcoholism, researchers have came to the conclusion that, in smokers, visual impairment occurred twice more often than in non-smokers. The study has confirmed the fact that smoking is linked to poor vision and revealed that smoking is associated with a double incidence in the development of AMD.

Interestingly, in those who quit smoking 20 and more years ago, the risk of muscular degeneration remained at the same level than in non-smokers.

According to Australian researchers, smoking increases the risk of blindness more than fourfold! In addition, those who smoke are in danger of developing AMD 10 years earlier in life than those who either never smoked or stopped smoking at least 20 years ago. In Australia, about 20 percent of blind elderly people have developed this condition because of their smoking habits.

The results of these research should encourage more smokers to kick off their dangerous addiction, especially if they do not want to become blind later in life.

Darlene Marlow