Passive smokers double their risk of developing a disease that can leave sufferers partially blind, according to new research. In turn, smokers' risk of developing the disease is three times greater than those who avoid cigarettes.
Age-related macula degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of partial blindness in the western world, and the risk of developing it normally rises after the age of 60. It is caused because of the degeneration and loss of photoreceptor cells in the retina at the back of the eye, particularly in the central, densely packed section used to pick out detail in a scene. The result of the disease is a blind spot in the centre of the field of view.
In the study, smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes a day for more than 40 years tripled the risk of developing AMD compared with non-smokers. Passive smokers, defined as those who had lived with someone who smokes for five years or more, were found to double their risk. There was no difference between men and women.
Guardian service