Share
The Guardian
Small increases in air pollution are linked to an increased risk of irreversible sight loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a large United Kingdom study has found.
Previous work had already found a link between dirty air and glaucoma and a link to cataracts is suspected. The scientists said the eyes have a particularly high flow of blood, potentially making them very vulnerable to the damage caused by tiny particles that are breathed in and then flow around the body.
The study is the first to assess the connection between air pollution and both diagnoses of AMD that the patients said they had been given, and measurements of harmful changes in the retina. It found a small increase in exposure to tiny pollution particles raised the risk of AMD by 8%, while small changes in larger pollution particles and nitrogen dioxide were linked to a 12% higher risk of adverse retinal changes.
By Damian Carrington | 26 Jan 2021
RELATED TOPICS:
Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award
5 hours ago
‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US
5 hours ago
Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean
8 hours ago
California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny
1 day ago
Delta Plane Flips on Toronto Runway Amid Winter Storm
1 hour ago
Categories

Delta Plane Flips on Toronto Runway Amid Winter Storm

Fresno Joins National Protests Against Trump Administration

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US
