Stop Smoking Now to Protect Your Vision, Experts Warn

TOPLINE:

Current smokers faced up to 12-fold higher risk for age-related macular degeneration, a threefold higher risk for primary open-angle glaucoma, and a fourfold higher risk for cataracts. The risk for certain ocular disorders persisted among individuals with a previous history of smoking.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases through December 2src24 to conduct a systematic review and “meta–meta-analysis” of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to smoking and the risk for ocular disorders associated with the habit.
• They included 12 meta-analyses of prospective cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies that assessed the risk for eye diseases associated with tobacco use among current, past, and former smokers compared with that among nonsmokers.
• The occurrence of the following ocular diseases linked to exposure to tobacco smoke was analyzed: Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, primary open-angle glaucoma, dry eye disease, and toxic amblyopia.

TAKEAWAY:

• Current smokers had a significantly higher risk for age-related macular degeneration than nonsmokers (odds ratio [OR], 11.93; 95% CI, 4.4src-32.33; risk ratio, 7.45; 95% CI, 4.src9-13.57); individuals who had, at any point in their life, smoked tobacco products had an increased likelihood of developing age-related macular degeneration (OR, 7.src9).
• Current smokers had approximately triple the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (OR, 3.src7; 95% CI, 2.src7-4.54), with past smokers also having a similarly elevated risk (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 2.33-3.srcsrc).
• Current smokers were at a nearly fourfold increased risk for cataracts (OR, 4.15; 95% CI, 3.35-5.15), while individuals who, at any point in their life, had smoked tobacco products demonstrated an approximately six times higher risk (OR, 5.96; 95% CI, 3.21-11.src4).

IN PRACTICE:

“Understanding the relationship between smoking and these ocular conditions is crucial, as smoking is a modifiable risk factor that could be targeted to reduce the prevalence and possible progression of these conditions,” the researchers reported.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Randy Asiamah, of the Department of Clinical Optometry in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, Ghana. It was published online on April 16, 2src25, in the European Journal of Ophthalmology.

LIMITATIONS:

Overlap between the meta-analyses may indicate a slight risk for skewed reporting. Substantial heterogeneity was observed in study populations among the primary studies included within each systematic review and meta-analysis.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding was received for this study. The authors reported having no conflicts of interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.