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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 released Tuesday.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 in wealthier countries, with around 300 million people expected to be affected by 2040.
Known risk factors include age, smoking, and genetic makeup.
Today, researchers have linked AMD to air pollution, which is already known to carry a host of health risks, including heart and lung disease.
Writing in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, the researchers analyzed data from more than 115,000 participants who did not report any eye problems at the start of the study period in 2006.
Official data on traffic and levels of nitrous oxide and small particles were used to calculate average annual levels of air pollution in participants’ homes.
They were asked to report a formal diagnosis of AMD by a doctor and were tested on their visual performance several years later.
A total of 1,286 participants were diagnosed with AMD at the end of the study period.
After controlling for other influencing factors, including underlying health issues and lifestyle, fine particle exposure was associated with an eight percent higher risk of contracting AMD.
“Overall, our results suggest that ambient air pollution, particularly fine (particulate) or those from combustion-related particles, may affect the risk of AMD,” the study authors said. .
“Our results add to the growing evidence of the adverse effects of ambient air pollution, even at relatively low exposure.
The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution is responsible for at least seven million deaths each year.
Last week, a separate study estimated that reducing air pollution to WHO recommended levels could prevent more than 50,000 deaths a year across Europe.
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 of the health risks of poor air quality.
“The association of macular degeneration with smoking is well known, but this new discovery of an environmental link to air pollution will add further to the debate on climate change,” said Robert MacLaren, professor of ophthalmology at the ‘University of Oxford.
© 2021 AFP
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