Eyesight is crucial to our independence, mobility and quality of life. However, our eyes age right along with the rest of our bodies and need special care and consideration for long-term health.
One in four people over 65 have at least early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it is the leading cause of blindness for older adults in the world. AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or a breakdown of the light-sensitive cells within the retina. Vision is gradually or rapidly destroyed, making it very difficult to see objects clearly, read and drive. The part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail, the macula, deteriorates when affected by AMD. There is no pain associated with AMD. Risk factors for AMD are age, genetic markers and smoking, but researchers have made a connection with our lifestyle habits as well.
Prevention is possible
Because there is no cure for AMD, prevention and management are the only options. As we attempt to keep our bodies in shape, we should do the same with our eyes. Eyes can also benefit from a good diet and plenty of exercise, and a study of lifestyle habits indicates how true this really is.
Over 1,300 women were reviewed for their diet, exercise and smoking habits over a six-year period. Among the women who ate the healthiest, 11 percent had developed AMD compared to 19 percent of women who ate the worst diets. Of the women who exercised the most, one in 10 developed AMD compared to one in five with low levels of exercise. When the results were combined and no smoking was considered as well, the risk decreased more than 70 percent. This is “a particularly profound lowering of risk,” says study author, Dr. Julie Mares of the University of Wisconsin.
“Decades of studies…have all established that AMD is, in part a nutrition-responsive disease,” states Dr. Stuart Richer of the Captain James Lovell Federal Health Care Facility. “Nutritional choice, smoking cessation, and cardiovascular conditioning have myriad benefits with respect to improving blood flow that aids the delivery of nutrients and removal of waste products from the retina, as well as beneficially altering blood chemistry,” Richer adds. Therefore, AMD is associated with cardiovascular health. » Read more: A Bright Future for Eyesight
