Among the many conditions affecting the elderly, age-related macular degeneration or AMD as it is more widely known, is a common occurrence, and is considered the leading cause of blindness after age 60.
It occurs when the macula, which is at the back of the retina and produces the sharpest vision, begins to degenerate as one ages.
But since you are a long way off from the landmark, you probably had a quiet laugh over this piece of information and stepped out to light a cigarette.
If so, beware. A new study says smokers face a twofold risk of AMD compared to non-smokers. Even those who have quit smoking face a higher risk, the study says.
The study, by Johanna M Seddon, MD of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, and colleagues pored over genetic and environmental risk factors for AMD in 681 elderly male twins, and used photographers of the inner eye to diagnose AMD.
Whlie they found smoking was a major contributory factor, those who ate more fish and consumed more omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other fish, were less likely to have AMD.
According to the researchers, a third of the risk of AMD was due to cigarette-smoking, but this can be prevented with paying more attention to healthy lifestyles.
Another study, by Brian Chua and team from the Westmead Millennium Institute and the Vision Co-operative Research Centre, Sydney, Australia, which went into the link between fat intake and AMD, found that those in the group with the highest intake of polyunsaturated fat halved their chance of developing early AMD. This study also found that those who ate fish at least once a week reduced the risk of early AMD by 40 per cent.
This study focused on 2895 Australians age 49 and above, over a five-year period.
