Researchers at Gachon University Gil Medical Center have confirmed that air pollutants are the main cause of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blindness for the first time in the world.
AMD is a disease in which the macula, located in the center of the eye's retina, has a deformation and causes visual impairment. Symptoms include blurred vision, distortion of objects, and bending of straight lines.
To find that air pollutants cause AMD, the team, led by Professors Choi Yoon-hyung and Kim Dong-hyun, and Doctor Joo Min-jae, analyzed 15,115 people over 40 using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2012.
After removing the major confounding factors, the team confirmed that carbon monoxide (CO) increased by five times and fine dust (PM10) also increased by two to five times during this period, the hospital said.
As a result of the study, the team found that continuous exposure to air pollution such as fine dust, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide increases the risk of developing macular degeneration.
The hospital said that the risk of macular degeneration was 1.4 times higher in the group exposed to more than 50 ug/m3 of fine dust than in the group exposed to a lower concentration. In the case of nitrogen dioxide, the group exposed to 30 ppb or more had 1.3 times higher risk of developing macular degeneration than the group exposed to a lower concentration.
Also, the group exposed to more than 500 ppb of carbon monoxide had a 1.5 times higher risk of macular degeneration than the group exposed to a lower concentration, the hospital added.
"AMD is a disease that can lead to blindness, and since the incidence of AMD continues to increase with the aging of the population, the results of this study, which revealed risk factors for AMC, are particularly meaningful," Professor Kim said.
Professor Choi also said, "Even the level of air pollution exposure in the current living environment of Korea can sufficiently increase the risk of macular degeneration."
To prevent eye diseases such as AMD and live a healthy old age, she added that it is necessary to reduce the current level of air pollution.
The results of the research were published in Environmental Research.