Study: Lifetime of Outdoor Activity May Lead to Eye Disease
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iStock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — Spending prolonged hours in the sun can lead to a common eye disease, according to a new study.
Residential geography and sunglass use can help exlpain why individuals develop exfoliation syndrome (XFS), an eye condition that is linked to secondary open-angle glaucoma and an increased risk of cataract and cataract surgery complications.
The study, published Thursday in JAMA, Ophthalmology, explored the connection between residential history, solar exposure, and XFS.
Using participants in the United States and Israel, researchers examined the average latitude of their homes and the average number of hours a week they spent outdoors. Volunteers were all 60 years or older and white.
For each hour per week they spent outdoors during the summer, participants were associated with a 4 percent increased odds of XFS. However, sunglass use decreased the risk in the United States, though not in Israel.
“Lifetime outdoor activities may contribute to XFS,” said lead author Louis Pasquale. “The association between work over snow or water and the lack of association with brimmed hat wear suggests that ocular exposure to light from reflective surfaces may be an important type of exposure in XFS etiology. If confirmed in other studies, there could be reason to consider more widespread use of UV-blocking eyewear in these cases to help prevent XFS.”
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