People with a genetic predisposition for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) significantly increased their![\"\"](\"http://www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2015/images/nei-16_l.jpg\")
odds of developing the blinding eye disorder if they had a history of heavy smoking and consistently did not exercise or eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to an observational study of women funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
The estimated number of people with AMD will more than double by 2050.
Eating a healthy diet and getting exercise have been shown in earlier studies to protect against AMD, a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. Findings from this latest study, conducted by a team of investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggest that genetic and lifestyle factors may contribute to AMD in a synergistic way. The findings were published online in the journal Ophthalmology.
This post was imported from a legacy archive. Please excuse any formatting inconsistencies.