Extra Pounds Could Dim Your Eyesight
(HealthDay, 6/11/03)

Dr. Johanna M. Seddon, of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and team studied 261 people over 60 years of age, who had preliminary signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition in which the cells in the macula at the center of the retina lose functionality. The researchers gathered information regarding the subjects' lifestyles, including diet, alcohol consumption, exercise and smoking habits. They also recorded height, weight, blood pressure, existing medical conditions and medications. The investigators then followed up annually with each patient for a period of from 4 to 7 years. The results of the study suggest that being overweight and not exercising accelerate the progression of AMD, possibly leading to blindness. Dr. Seddon speculates that an inactive lifestyle may compromise the blood vessels that remove waste products from the eye.