Even after age 80, quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a US study published in the journal American Journal of Ophthalmology . This pathology is mainly caused by smoking, then by age. It is believed to be the leading cause of low vision in people over 60 in industrialized countries.

Dr. Anne Coleman, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, compared the retinal photographs of nearly 2,000 women aged 78 to 83. The researcher first observed signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and then determined whether smoking increased the risk of developing this disease.

Smokers generally had 11% more age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than non-smokers of the same age. In the over-80s, smokers were 5.5 times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers.

The doctor concludes that it is never too late to see the health benefits of stopping smoking . Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes blurred or darkened vision. It can prevent reading, driving, or recognizing faces of relatives for example.