Chronic exposure to air pollution increases the risk of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, according to a French study conducted in Bordeaux.
There air pollution can accelerate eye aging, reveals a study conducted by researchers from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux, published in the journal Environmental Research. Scientists sought to understand how air pollution affects our eyes. They followed a group of 683 people aged 75 or over living in Bordeaux. They have measured the thickness of a retinal nerve layer (layer of fibers in the eye) by performing eye exams every two years between 2009 and 2020.
Even a small amount of air pollution can have negative effects on the eyes
The results confirmed a link between exposure to fine particles and faster thinning of this retinal nerve layer. This thinning is a characteristic of glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve which represents the second leading cause of blindness in the world. This thinning was also associated with risk of cognitive decline and dementia. “In addition to its well-characterized effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systemsthere is growing evidence that chronic exposure to air pollution has adverse effects on the central nervous systempotentially increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases in adults and neurodevelopmental disorders in children” indicate the authors. This association was present even when the pollution was below the levels recommended in Europe. This means that even a small amount of air pollution can have negative effects on eyes and health. “The results of this study confirm previous observations on the effects of air pollution on neurodegenerative processes, here at eye level“said Laure Gayraud, doctoral student in epidemiology and first author of the study at FranceInfo July 18. “They constitute an additional argument in favor of the reduction in European regulatory thresholds, as recommended by the WHO, as well as the decrease in the effective exposure of the French population, which continues to exceed the current regulatory thresholds in places.
Nearly seven million annual deaths are attributable to air pollution
Air pollution is a mixture of gases and particles suspended in the air, resulting mainly from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. In 2021, theWHO estimated that nearly seven million annual deaths are attributable to air pollution. The French researchers plan to extend their study nationwide to better understand the effects of pollutants on aging eyes.