A study published in the journal Ophthalmology examined the effects of a number of common everyday activities on eye health over time.
Researchers from the University Of Wisconsin School Of Medicine analyzed data from a study that followed nearly 5,000 participants between 43 and 84 years of age between 1988 and 2013.
The study looked specifically at three common activities:
- exercising
- smoking
- drinking alcohol
Exercising’s Effect on Visual Impairment
The study authors found that people who exercised three or more times per week were less likely to develop visual impairment.
In fact, they discovered that those who were physically active were 58% less likely to become visually impaired than those who were sedentary.
Drinking Alcohol’s Effect on Visual Impairment
The researchers also indicated that occasional drinkers (those who had consumed alcohol in the past year, but reported zero servings in an average week) were 49% less likely to become visually impaired than people who abstained from alcohol completely.
Not surprisingly, heavy drinkers were found to be at greater risk of developing visual impairment.
Smoking’s Effect on Visual Impairment
Smokers were also found to be at greater risk of developing visual problems. We’ve detailed 7 risks to your eye health and vision as a smoker — that post covers many of this study’s same findings.
The good news is that if you quit smoking, the risk of developing many of these serious disorders becomes almost as low as for people who never smoked.
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