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Poor lifestyles are fuelling an alarming increase in vision loss. The number of people afflicted will double to four million by 2030, according to a report released by the Eyecare Trust.

Published to mark Eye Health Week (October 6-12), the report aims to raise consumer awareness about how smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and obesity can lead to vision loss.

It points out that smoking is a key risk factor for both wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Findings suggest smokers are twice as likely to suffer from AMD than non-smokers. They are also likely to suffer from the condition earlier than non-smokers.

The average age for a non-smoker to develop AMD is 74.4 years of age. This is five years later than smokers whose average age is 69.2 years.

Awareness of the risk of blindness from smoking among Britain's 13 million smokers is low (9.7 per cent) compared to lung cancer (92.2 per cent) and heart disease (87.7 per cent).

With more than half of Britons overweight, the study also highlights the link between vision loss and obesity. It points out that people who are genetically predisposed to AMD must be particularly careful about their weight as the risk of the condition can rise by almost 300 per cent if they are obese.

Iain Anderson, chairman of the Eyecare Trust, said: 'As the number of people registered blind or partially sighted continues to rise we are uncovering growing evidence that lifestyle factors play a significant role in determining the long-term health of our eyes.'

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