A 2019 study found a link between air pollution and glaucoma; researchers also suspect a link to cataracts.
A more recent study, freshly published in the journal British Journal of Ophthalmology, found that dirty air is also associated with an increased risk of irreversible sight loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
There are 200 million people worldwide with AMD, and it’s the leading cause of blindness among the over-50s in high-income countries. About 5% of people in the UK over 65 have the disease.
The most significant risk factors for the condition are poor physical health issues (such as obesity and smoking) and genetics. But the impact of bad air quality will become an even more significant threat as lifestyles become healthier. Fortunately, dirty air levels can be reduced with appropriate policies, whereas genetics are fated.
Chris Inglehearn, a professor at the University of Leeds who was not part of the study, said:
“This UK-based study is similar to a 2019 study from Taiwan on traffic-related pollution. The fact that these two independent studies reach similar conclusions gives greater confidence that the link they make is real.”
Eyes are vulnerable to the damage caused by tiny particles inhaled (which then flow through the bloodstream) because they have an exceptionally high blood flow.
Paul Foster, a professor at University College London, who was part of the study, said:
“There is an enormously high flow of blood [to the retina], and we think that as a consequence of that, the distribution of pollutants is greater to the eye than to other places. Proportionately, air pollution is going to become a bigger risk factor as other risk factors are brought under control.
It’s important to keep things in context – people shouldn’t be looking outside their door and thinking: ‘I can’t go out because it is polluted out there.’ The study gives people information that they can use to alter their lifestyle choices. For example, it may be another reason why we might consider going for an electric car, instead of buying a diesel.”
The scientists analyzed data from the UK Biobank database. They gathered 116,000 people aged 40-69 with no eye problems at the start of the study. Then, they examined the health of over 50,000 of those people’s retinas via eye scans.
They found that AMD’s risk increases by 8% if a person is exposed to tiny pollution particles. The risk of adverse retinal changes rises to 12% if exposed to nitrogen dioxide and larger pollution particles. The study took into account influencing factors such as age, weight, smoking, and deprivation.
Robert MacLaren, a professor at the University of Oxford, said:
“This finding is significant. Furthermore, the study had an average age of around 60, and this small increased risk of 8% is likely to be compounded further over ensuing decades.”
The research only investigated data involving levels of outdoor air pollution. However, Foster notes that levels of indoor air pollution are likely as necessary. For example, a separate study found that home wood burners triple the level of harmful particles inside. He said:
“We suspect there’s a lot more that is relevant going on inside the house. Anything that produces smoke is likely to be driving some of the risks.
The traditional sign-off with anything to do with eyes and vision is to encourage everybody to have a routine eye examination once a year, particularly those over 40. It’s a great way of spotting eye disease.”
The World Health Organization warns that 90% of the world’s population lives with dirty air – a terrifying fact since air pollution is increasingly linked to a wide range of diseases and mental health issues. The real danger lies in how inhaled particles travel around the body, causing inflammation.
On that note, there are foods you can eat to help reduce inflammation. You may want to put as much effort as possible into picking your meals wisely; you can choose what you eat, but you can’t always choose the air you breathe!
