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While excessive smoking has been badociated with a variety of health conditions, including heart disease and cancer, a new study warned that smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day can cause blindness.
The Rutgers University study has shown that chronic smoking can have negative effects on "spatial vision and color vision".
The results, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, revealed significant changes in the vision of red-green and blue-yellow colors in smokers. This suggests that the consumption of substances containing neurotoxic chemicals, such as those contained in cigarettes, may result in a loss of overall color vision.
Heavy smokers also have a reduced ability to distinguish contrasts and colors from nonsmokers.
"Our findings indicate that excessive cigarette consumption or chronic exposure to their compounds affects visual discrimination, corroborating the existence of overall deficits in the visual treatment of tobacco addiction," said Steven Silverstein, of Rutgers's Behavioral Health Care.
"Cigarette smoke is made up of many harmful compounds. It has been badociated with a reduction in the thickness of the layers in the brain and in brain lesions, involving areas such as the frontal lobe, which plays a role in voluntary movements and control. thought and decreased activity in the area of the brain that processes vision, "he said.
For the study, the team examined 71 healthy people who smoked less than 15 cigarettes in their entire lives and 63 people, who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day. The participants belonged to the 25 to 45 age group.
The results of the study showed notable changes in the red-green and blue-yellow color vision of heavy smokers.
Previous studies have also shown that long-term smoking doubles the risk of age-related macular degeneration and is a factor in yellowing and inflammation of the lenses.
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First publication: February 20, 2019 13:14 IST
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