Smoking Increases Macular Degeneration Risk by Nearly 50 Percent

BEAVER DAM, Wis., January 2008 — Smoking boosts risks of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by nearly 50 percent, reveals a recent analysis of about 3,500 Beaver Dam, Wis. residents undergoing eye-related studies since 1987. The finding was reported in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Study results also show that, of people who have macular degeneration, smokers on average were more likely to develop the eye disease at a younger age:
• Current smokers (69.2 years)
• Former smokers (72.3 years)
• Non-smokers who have never smoked (74.4 years)
Researchers noted that it's difficult in modern times to assess eye damage caused by secondary exposure to smoke, partly because of new laws that now restrict smoking in public areas.