The National Eye Institute reports that people with a family history of macular degeneration increase their risk of blindness by smoking and adding excessive weight.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.

Studies indicate that smoking and obesity are more dangerous factors in macular degeneration than once thought, according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the Harvard Medical School.

Scientists have learned that about 58 percent of the white population carries a form of a gene that can lead to macular degeneration. The CFH gene makes carriers four times as likely to develop the disease. If CFH carriers smoke, their risk is eight times higher, and if they smoke and are overweight, their risk is 12 times higher.

People with the LOC gene also have a greater risk of developing macular degeneration. They have a six times higher risk even if they don’t smoke and 22 times higher if they do. About 34 percent of whites has the LOC variant gene.

Please take care of yourself.

Related posts:

  1. Stop Smoking Basics
  2. Emphysema Explained
  3. The Connection Between Grass Fed Beef and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
  4. High Blood Pressure in Teens
  5. Anti Aging Tips for Women