Every year people make new years resolutions as a way to set goals for personal growth in areas such as weight loss, exercise and quitting bad habits. Many people use this time of year to quit smoking. Smoking increases not only your risk of cancer and heart attack, but new studies show that there is a higher incidence of macular degeneration in those who smoke.
The US doctors say that quitting smoking helps save sight. The ophthalmologists at the University of California-Los Angeles claim that after 80 years there is an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration. This causes damage to the center of the retina which can, in time, even cause blindness.
The rate of this retina disease increases by 11% in smokers. While, when the age also is a factor like in elderly of 80 and above, this disease is 5.5% more in smokers than in other people.
“The take-home message is that it’s never too late to quit smoking”, Dr. Anne Coleman, the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “We found that even older people’s eyes will benefit from kicking the habit”.
Quitting smoking is a difficult task, even for those individuals who are seriously committed to kicking the habit. Many people are afraid that if they do quit smoking, they will start to eat more, thus putting on unwanted pounds. To avoid weight loss pitfalls while quitting smoking, surround yourself with fresh fruits and veggies if you feel the urge to eat.