Air Pollution Increases AMD, Cataract Risk

Air pollution is an unseen environmental factor influencing long-term eye health by triggering inflammatory processes, researchers say. Photo: Getty Images. Individuals in high-air-pollution areas are at an 8% increased risk of requiring cataract surgery, reveals research conducted in Bordeaux, France. The new study, published in Ophthalmology Science, observed how exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and black carbon (BC)—three common air pollutants—affected the development of cataracts, wet AMD and subsequent surgeries to correct both conditions.Their patient cohort, found via the French Nations Health Data System, contained 36,140 participants, all over the age of 53. Researchers followed up with the patients after 10 years to understand changes and evolutions in ocular health over time. Of the study sample, 39% of patients were women, “73% lived in urban areas, 66% had never smoked, 13% had a BMI of 30kg/m2 or more, 36% had a cardiovascular disease, 8% had diabetes and 11% were hypertensive,” the researchers wrote in their paper. Additionally, there were 5,543 identified cases of cataract surgeries and 266 cases of diagnosed neovascular AMD. Locations with air pollution were identified using air pollution maps provided by the ELAPSE research project, which documents air pollution throughout Europe.Urban participants in particular were found to experience an 8% higher increased risk of cataract surgery later on when they were exposed to a minimum of 34.8μg of NO2 per cubic meter. The researchers attributed this problem to the fact that “inhalation of NO2 and particulate matter triggers inflammatory responses, leading to cytokine production and oxidative stress” and that “fine particulate matter can penetrate deep into the body,” they wrote, “thereby reaching the retina and activating immune cells (microglia), leading to further inflammation and oxidative stress.”Air pollution can cause oxidative stress that affects the eyes, and it is “a well-established contributing factor in the development of both” AMD and cataracts, the authors explained in their study. As such, identifying air pollution as a potential cause or factor in eye disease may encourage health initiatives that take ocular health into consideration, as well as a transition to more environmentally friendly actions and resources overall.Click here for the journal source. Gayraud L, Lequy E, Hucteau E, et al. Association of air pollution exposure with incident cataract surgery and neovascular age-related macular degeneration in two french nationwide cohorts. Ophthalmol. Sci. January 26, 2026. [Epub ahead of print]. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.