CIGARETTES can blind smokers, according to research carried out in Bolton.
A study shows smokers are four times more likely to go blind than non-smokers.
And the experts behind the research at Bolton Hospital NHS Trust and Manchester University believe their findings could trigger a greater number of people quitting the habit.
Expert Richard Edwards found the risk of age-related macular degeneration increases four-fold among smokers. The eye condition is irreversible and the study discovered that smoking was responsible for one -in-five cases.
AMD already affects 53,000 smokers over the age of 69 in Britain. Of those, 17,800 are already blind.
Dr Edwards, who is senior lecturer in public health, was backed by Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust. He said: "Smokers don't realise the risk they are taking. There may also be a link between second-hand smoke and AMD."
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