London: Exposure to polluted air is associated with an increased risk of glaucoma, a debilitating eye condition that can cause blindness, according to a study. The findings show that people in neighbourhoods with higher amounts of fine particulate matter pollution were at least six per cent more likely to report having glaucoma than those in the least-polluted areas.
Glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease, is the leading global cause of irreversible blindness and affects over 60 million people worldwide, the researchers noted. The team found that people in the most-polluted 25 per cent of areas were at least six per cent more likely to report having glaucoma than those in the least-polluted quartile.
–PTI
