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Smoking Cessation Reduces Cataract Risk

Cigarette smoking increases the risk for senile cataracts, but it is unclear how completely this risk is reversed in people who stop smoking. Data on a large cohort of U.S. male physicians, who were participating in a study of the health effects of daily aspirin and beta-carotene, were examined to assess the relation between smoking cessation and cataract formation.

Of 20,907 enrolled male physicians, 10,444 (50 percent) had never smoked; 8190 (39 percent) were past smokers (mean, 20.5 lifetime pack-years); and 2273 (11 percent) were current smokers (mean, 35.8 lifetime pack-years). During an average 13.6 years of follow-up, cataracts were diagnosed in about 10 percent of participants.

Compared with current smokers, men who had never smoked had a 36 percent lower risk for cataract diagnosis, and those who had quit smoking had about a 23 percent lower risk. Risk for cataracts fell only slightly with duration of nonsmoking time; for long-term quitters (those who had not smoked for 20 years or more), risk remained slightly higher than for those who had never smoked. Statistical modeling suggested that total pack-years was the major predictor of cataract risk, although an independent benefit of quitting was seen, even for heavy smokers.

Comment: These findings echo the findings of other studies: Smoking cessation benefits the eyes as well as the lungs. However, this report leaves unanswered the question of whether smokers' excess cataract risk ever resolves completely.

— A Zuger

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine August 25, 2000

Citation(s):

Christen WG et al. Smoking cessation and risk of age-related cataract in men. JAMA 2000 Aug 9 284 713-716.

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