Smoking linked to increased risk of multiple vision-threatening eye diseases in large cohort study
Key Takeaways
- Smoking significantly increased risk of all studied eye diseases, especially cataract, uveitis, and retinal vascular occlusions.
- Smoking history should be included in risk assessment and counseling.
Smoking is associated with a significantly increased risk of several vision-threatening ocular conditions, including cataract, glaucoma, and retinal vascular diseases, according to a study.
In this large retrospective cohort study using real-world data, researchers analyzed electronic health records to compare outcomes between smokers (n = 304,823) and non-smokers (n = 11,878,431). After propensity score matching to balance demographics and vascular risk factors, 300,867 patients remained in each group. Ten-year incidence rates of multiple ophthalmic conditions were assessed using risk ratios.
Smokers demonstrated a significantly higher risk across all studied outcomes (P < 0.0001). The strongest associations were observed for posterior subcapsular cataract (RR 2.60; 95% CI, 2.41–2.82), uveitis (RR 2.43; 95% CI, 2.25–2.63), and retinal vascular occlusions, including central retinal artery occlusion (RR 2.35) and central retinal vein occlusion (RR 2.16). Elevated risks were also noted for glaucoma subtypes (RR range, 1.57–2.47), age-related macular degeneration (RR 1.85), and diabetic retinopathy (RR 1.21).
The authors emphasized the importance of incorporating smoking history into risk assessment and screening strategies, as well as highlighting ocular health risks during smoking cessation counseling.
Reference
Gad El Sayed M, Vu Pham N, Bandaru D, et al. Smoking and Risk of Vision Threatening Complications: A Global Database Analysis. Clin Ophthalmol. 2026;20:596936. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S596936. PMID: 41952808; PMCID: PMC13053813.
Related Content
