Air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of vision issues. 

A British study of over 100,000 people has found that people who exposed to higher fine particle air pollution have a higher risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Other pollutants, except coarse particulate matter, were associated with changes in retinal structure too. 

It could be an important finding, given that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision impairment in people aged over 40 years in Australia.

If these findings are confirmed, they could pave the way for new treatment options, say the researchers.

However, it is an observational study, and as such, cannot establish cause, but the findings echo those found elsewhere in the world, say the researchers.

Ambient air pollution could plausibly be associated with age related macular degeneration (AMD) through oxidative stress or inflammation, they suggest.

“Overall, our findings suggest that ambient air pollution, especially fine [particulate matter] or those of combustion-related particles, may affect AMD risk,” they write.

“It is possible that the structural features observed may be unrelated to AMD, but associated with pollution-induced retinal toxicity. However, the direction of the relationships between air pollution and both AMD and associated retinal layer thicknesses indicate higher exposure to air pollution may make the cells more vulnerable and increase the risk of AMD,” they explain.

“Our findings add to the growing evidence of the damaging effects of ambient air pollution, even in the setting of relative low exposure,” they conclude.  If [they] are replicated, this would support the view that air pollution is an important modifiable risk factor for AMD.”

The study is accessible here.