Rutgers University Study Finds Long-Term Heavy Smoking Can Damage Vision
The fact that smoking is harmful to health is well known, yet many people still ignore its dangers. A new study from Rutgers University in the United States has once again sounded the alarm for persistent smokers. The findings, published in the journal Ps
Smoking is harmful to health—this is a well-known fact, yet many people still ignore the dangers of smoking, captivated by the feeling of "holding a cigarette is better than being a living god." Recently, a new study from Rutgers University in the United States has once again sounded the alarm for those addicted to smoking!
Screenshot of the official text from Rutgers University
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychiatry Research, with the main conclusion being that smoking not only affects the cardiovascular system but also damages vision. Smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day show a significant decrease in their ability to distinguish color differences and contrast.
The new study involved over 130 adult volunteers aged between 25 and 45, of whom 63 were addicted smokers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day, while over 70 were basically non-smokers, having smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lifetime. Standard vision tests showed that these volunteers had normal vision or corrected vision.
Researchers tested the volunteers' ability to distinguish contrast (subtle differences in shading) and colors. They found that compared to non-smokers, these heavy smokers had a significantly reduced ability to distinguish contrast and colors, exhibiting symptoms of color blindness or color weakness, with defects in their red-green and blue-yellow vision.
Researchers pointed out that previous studies have shown that long-term smoking significantly increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, and their new study indicates that excessive smoking or long-term exposure to harmful compounds in tobacco can severely affect smokers' ability to distinguish colors and contrast, potentially leading to a complete loss of color vision. The overall harm of smoking to vision cannot be ignored.
The new study did not provide a clear physiological explanation for the related results, but researchers noted that it may be related to harmful substances in tobacco, such as nicotine, which can damage blood vessels and neurons in the retina. They also found that 20% of cataract patients had a long-term smoking history. Smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day are twice as likely to develop cataracts compared to non-smokers.
They also suggested that smoking status and degree of smoking should be considered as important factors in future research on visual impairments.
Screenshot of the official text from Rutgers University
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychiatry Research, with the main conclusion being that smoking not only affects the cardiovascular system but also damages vision. Smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day show a significant decrease in their ability to distinguish color differences and contrast.
The new study involved over 130 adult volunteers aged between 25 and 45, of whom 63 were addicted smokers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day, while over 70 were basically non-smokers, having smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lifetime. Standard vision tests showed that these volunteers had normal vision or corrected vision.
Researchers tested the volunteers' ability to distinguish contrast (subtle differences in shading) and colors. They found that compared to non-smokers, these heavy smokers had a significantly reduced ability to distinguish contrast and colors, exhibiting symptoms of color blindness or color weakness, with defects in their red-green and blue-yellow vision.
Researchers pointed out that previous studies have shown that long-term smoking significantly increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, and their new study indicates that excessive smoking or long-term exposure to harmful compounds in tobacco can severely affect smokers' ability to distinguish colors and contrast, potentially leading to a complete loss of color vision. The overall harm of smoking to vision cannot be ignored.
The new study did not provide a clear physiological explanation for the related results, but researchers noted that it may be related to harmful substances in tobacco, such as nicotine, which can damage blood vessels and neurons in the retina. They also found that 20% of cataract patients had a long-term smoking history. Smokers who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day are twice as likely to develop cataracts compared to non-smokers.
They also suggested that smoking status and degree of smoking should be considered as important factors in future research on visual impairments.
