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Paris (AFP)
Air pollution is likely to increase the risk of irreversible vision loss, according to the results of a long-term study published on Tuesday.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among those over 50 in richer countries, with predictions that about 300 million people will be affected by 2040.
Known risk factors include age, smoking, and genetic makeup.
Now, researchers have drawn a link between AMD and air pollution, which is already known to include a number of health risks, including heart and lung disease.
In the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers analyzed data from more than 115,000 participants who reported no eye problems at the start of the 2006 study period.
Official data on traffic and levels of nitric oxide and small particles were used to calculate the annual average air pollution levels at the participants’ home addresses.
They were asked to report a formal diagnosis of AMD by a doctor and were tested on their vision performance a few years later.
A total of 1,286 participants were diagnosed with AMD at the end of the study period.
After taking into account other factors such as the underlying health conditions and lifestyle, exposure to fine particles was associated with an eight percent higher risk of an individual contracting AMD.
“Overall, our findings suggest that air pollution, particularly fine (particles) or those of combustion-related particles, may affect AMD risk,” the study authors say.
“Our findings contribute to the growing evidence of the harmful effects of air pollution, even in the environment of relatively low exposure.”
The World Health Organization estimates air pollution is responsible for at least seven million deaths annually.
Last week, a separate study estimated that reducing air pollution to WHO-recommended levels could prevent more than 50,000 deaths in Europe each year.
Tuesday’s study was observational and therefore could not establish a causal link between air pollution and AMD.
But experts said it provided further evidence for the health risks of poor air quality.
“The association of macular degeneration with smoke is well recognized, but this new finding of an environmental link related to atmospheric pollution will further contribute to the debate on climate change,” said Robert MacLaren, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oxford. .
© 2021 AFP