Eye Diseases May Shorten Life
May 17, 2004
Age-related macular degeneration and cataracts may do
more than rob older people of their sight. They may also rob years
off their lives.
According to new research from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS),
a long-term study on the prevention, effects and progression of age-related
macular degeneration, people with evidence of these two eye disorders
were more likely to die within six and a half years than those with
healthy eyes, likely due to the fact that eye disorders are often
symptoms of other underlying medical conditions. In fact, people with
age-related macular degeneration were more likely to die of heart
disease than people without the eye disorder.
Additionally, the study found that people with vision worse than 20/40 in
one eye and those who had cataract surgery also had an increased risk of
death.
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