A massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Study Findings
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service. The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and focus-related eyesight disorders.
The study found that people who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years. In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes. The data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
