Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is two to three times more frequent in smokers than in non-smokers, according to a recent press release from AMD Alliance International. The more a person smokes, the greater the risk, and, in those already experiencing symptoms, the faster the progression of the disease. For patients with certain genetic backgrounds, regular heavy smoking can increase the risk of AMD by as much as 144 times, according to one clinical study reported in 2007.

“If you quit today,” says David Herman, Chairman of AMD Alliance International, “you can immediately begin lowering your risk of losing your sight to macular degeneration.”

For more information about AMD, go online to www.amdalliance.org.