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Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher eye disease risk
Fox News • • general
Key Points:
- A large study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found that switching from traditional cigarettes to electronic vapes may increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine entirely.
- Researchers analyzed data from 179,273 adults in South Korea who had smoked cigarettes but quit by 2018 or 2019, creating a matched group of 32,316 participants divided into complete quitters and those who switched to smokeless nicotine products.
- Over an average follow-up of 4.6 years, those who switched to smokeless alternatives had a 7% higher risk of major eye diseases, including a 24% increased risk of diabetic retinopathy and a 7% higher risk of focus-related vision disorders.
- The study challenges the notion that vaping is harmless to eye health, though limitations include reliance on self-reported data and the inability to prove direct causation between vaping and eye damage.
- Researchers emphasize that quitting all nicotine products remains the safest option for reducing the risk of serious eye conditions.
