A large study presented at the ESCRS congress has linked higher exposure to air pollution with increased diagnoses of glaucoma and cataracts. The findings reinforce the idea that polluted air may harm more than the lungs and cardiovascular system.
The research compared people living in areas with different pollution levels and found higher rates of both eye conditions in more exposed groups. Because the study was presented at a congress rather than published in a peer-reviewed journal, the results are preliminary and do not yet establish cause and effect.
Still, the study adds vision to the growing list of potential health effects from poor air quality. It also suggests that limiting air pollution could become part of broader efforts to reduce avoidable blindness, especially if future research confirms a direct biological link.