Smoking has always been related to lung disease. However, a new study reveals that this common habit may also contribute to age-related eyesight loss.

ScienceDaily.com reports that smoking can increase the risk of cataract in advanced ages. Aiming to identify possible modifiable factors that cause the condition, researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology from the Zhejiang University in China analyzed 12 volunteers and eight case-control studies from different countries in order to compare levels of cataract risk between smokers and non-smokers.

Data showed that those who smoke or have smoked at some point in their lives have greater risk of developing cataracts as they grow older compared to those who never did. Furthermore, those who are currently on the habit are more susceptible to having nuclear cataract (clouding of the eye’s central nucleus) and subscapular cataract (clouding of the eye’s rear capsule).

Although more research is needed in order to find out the basis of the connection between smoking and age-related cataract, this may add to the long list of reasons why breaking the habit may be a good idea. If you need support or information on how to quit, join the conversation on GIRLTalk or read our related articles below.

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