Smoking increases chance of blindness in elderly

William Atkins
Monday, 04 January 2010 18:12

Science - Health

According to a U.S. study, the chance of age-related macular degeneration, a disease that can lead to blindness, is increased for older women who smoke.


The summary of the researchers' work is published in the January 2010 issue of The American Journal of Ophthalmology (volume 149, issue 1, pages 160-169).

The title of the paper is “The Association of Smoking and Alcohol Use With Age-related Macular Degeneration in the Oldest Old: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.”

The lead author of the study is Dr. Anne L. Coleman (Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles [ULCA] and the School of Public Health, UCLA).

She was joined in the study with fellow collaborators Robin L. Seitzmana, Steven R. Cummingsd, Fei Yuac, Jane A. Cauleye, Kristine E. Ensrudf, Katie L. Stoned, Marc C. Hochbergg, Kathryn L. Pedulah, Edgar L. Thomasi, and Carol M. Mangionej.

The researchers wanted to estimate the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with respect to smoking and alcohol use within a group of older aged women.

They used women who were participants of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. The mean age of the women was 78.2 years. A total of 1,958 women participated in the study.

The female subjects were graded within the length of the study with respect to their risk factors for getting AMD. Specifically 45-degree stereoscopic fundus retinal photographs were taken of the women at the ages of 78 years and 83 years.

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