Smoking and Age Related Macular Degeneraton

• Home
• Buy Chantix
• Side Effects
• Clinical Trial Data

An investigation into the relationship between smoking and age related macular degeneration (AMD)

Age related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the commonest cause of blindness in the United States of America. The macula is at the back of the eye and lies at the center of the retina. It affects what we can see directly in front of us and helps us see fine detail, identify colors and recognise faces. There are two types of AMD, known as Dry AMD and Wet AMD.

Dry AMD is the most common form of the disease. It is caused by cells in the retina not functioning correctly as a person ages. They fail to absorb sufficient nutrients or clear away debris, causing the surface of the retina to become uneven. The cells of the retina start to die and sight, over many years, is lost. There is currently no medical treatment for dry AMD.

Wet AMD is less common and accounts for about one in ten cases. It is caused by the growth of new blood vessels behind the retina. These vessels are weak and can burst leaking blood or plasma, which can cause rapid loss of sight. Degeneration can be prevented in the case of wet AMD by various laser treatments which can usually stop further loss of sight, and in some cases restore some sight. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injected into the macula have been shown to halt and in some cases restore loss of sight.

This disease increases in incidence the older one gets. At age 50, about 2% of people are affected. At age 85, this has increase to 20% or one in five.

AMD and Smoking

Researchers have studied male twins, and found that those who smoke have an increased risk of developing AMD. However, those who eat a diet rich in oily fish have a reduced risk of developing the disease.

Researchers at Harvard studied nearly 700 male twins, who underwent an eye examination and were asked questions about their diet. Included in the study were 220 twins who had either intermediate or advanced AMD, and 450 twins who had no evidence of the disease.

Twins in the sample that smoked were nearly twice as likely as the non smokers to develop AMD, whilst ex-smokers were still 1.7 times as likely to develop AMD. However, those that ate a diet rich in omega 3 fish oils halved their risk of getting AMD. It should also be noted that a low fat diet is no good if you are at risk of AMD - those with a very low fat diet (<20%) were 1.7 times more likely to develop AMD compared to those with a moderate intake. However, a high dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids removed any protection offered by a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids

It was also noted that those in the study who were obese, having a high BMI (body mass index), were at an increased risk.

Whilst genetic factors for developing AMD cannot be ignored, there are also strong environmental factors that can affect your likelihood of developing AMD.

Therefore, if you have or are at risk of developing AMD:

• Don't smoke
• Eat a diet rich in oily fish and omega 3 fatty acids.
• Don't limit overall fat intake, but do limit the intake of omega-6 fatty acids - these are found in red meat and processed foods.
• Keep your bodyweight to within the recommended BMI.