AMD linked to smoking warns BMJ

AMD remains the most common cause of adult blindness, and researchers report in the British Medical Journal (March 5) that one in five cases of AMD in the UK may be attributable to smoking. This represents around 54,000 people over 69 years of whom nearly 18,000 are blind.
Evidence in the report also shows that quitting smoking slows the development of AMD, whereas continued smoking can affect the long-term response to treatments such as laser therapy.
A sustained public health campaign in the UK was warranted to raise awareness of the link between smoking and blindness, said the authors. This should include offering smoking cessation support to people attending eye clinics and more novel, varied, and specific pack warnings of the impact of smoking on vision.