Age-related macular degeneration: How smoking may cause you to lose your sight or a limb

Are you a smoker in denial about the health risks associated with your habit? The following study may just shock you into accepting a couple of nasty truths.

It has been well documented that smoking is associated with serious health conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer, and emphysemato name a few.

But today we will look at how your habit could cost you your sight, or even one of your limbs.

Smoking linked to loss of sight
For years scientists have been researching the effects of smoking, and as you would expect, the results arent at all encouraging.

One study conducted by US researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, went about establishing whether there was a link between cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in women.

So what is age-related macular degeneration? AMD occurs when cells in the back of the eye become damaged and die, affecting your central vision which you need for reading and driving. This condition can affect anyone however it is more common in people over 55.

A total of 31,843 registered nurses aged 50-59 participated in the study in 1980, none of whom were diagnosed as having AMD at the outset. In the following 12 years, the researchers found that women who smoked 25 or more cigarettes a day had a 2.4 times greater risk of AMD compared with women who never smoked. Even after 15 years of quitting there was only a small reduction in risk, the study suggested.

And it seems that men are equally at risk. The risk of developing AMD has been shown to rise by two or three times in men who smoke more than one cigarette a day.

According to the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) website, age-related macular degeneration is the UKs leading cause of sight loss. The RNIB estimates that there are around 500,000 people in the UK with AMD and 54,000 of those have the condition as a result of smoking.

This is all pretty shocking, but theres more to come

Peripheral arterial disease
Can you imagine your blood not being able to travel to your arms and legs properly? It sounds like some sort of nightmare yet it is a surprisingly common disease.

Im talking about Peripheral Arterial Disease or PAD.

According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), an estimated 2.7 million people aged over 55 in the UK have some degree of peripheral arterial disease.

PAD affects your circulatory system by narrowing the arteries which in turn restricts the blood flow to your limbs. This may cause symptoms such as pain in the leg muscles or buttocks when exercising, and it could also keep you awake at night.

A chilling quote from the ASH website shows just how serious the association between smoking and this disease is. Daryll Baker, a consultant vascular surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital says:

About 80% of the patients whose legs or extremities I have to amputate are current smokers. If they are not current smokers, then they almost certainly used to smoke. If patients presenting with PAD have never smoked, I have cause to doubt whether they have the disease at all.

Of course thats not the only effect smoking has. It affects your sense of smell and taste, stains your teeth and hands, can cause premature ageing and give you a persistent hacking cough.

Natural protection
So what steps can you take to avoid these conditions? The best thing you could do for your health is quit your habit altogether.

In the e-alert Useful tips to help you quit smoking (22/8/05) I told you how two plant extracts have been shown to help smokers, Plantago Major (Common plantain) and lobelia. Some people find lobelia combined with the amino acid N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can really help to suppress cravings.

If giving up smoking is proving hard, you may want to set up a reward system. You could treat yourself to something that makes you feel good with the money you have saved each week.

But you can also take precautions against AMD. In a past e-alert, Protecting against age-related macular degeneration (15/5/05), I told you about a study conducted by the National Eye Institute. Youll remember the researchers recommended that anyone at high risk of developing AMD should consider taking these daily supplements:

 * Vitamin C - 500 mg
 * Vitamin E - 400 IU
 * Beta-carotene - 15 mg
 * Zinc (as zinc oxide) - 80 mg
 * Copper (as cupric oxide) - 2 mg

If you would like to quit smoking but feel you need some support, visit the charity QUIT website www.quit.org.uk. The NHS also offers free information and a number of options.