Lakeside Eye Care

Healthy Lifestyles for Healthy Eyes!

According to Review of Optometry magazine, women who eat healthy, excercise regularly, and don't smoke significantly lower their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In a study of 1,313 women ages 55 to 74 years old, women who ate the healthiest were 46% less likely to have AMD. Women who got regular physical activity lowered their risk by 54%, and those who ate right, exercised, and didn't smoke were 71% less likely to get AMD. Therefore, women who incorporate all three of these factors into their lifestyles are over two thirds less likely to suffer from macular degeneration! While genetics is a contributing factor that can't really be controlled, Julie Mars, professor of Opthalmology at the University of Wisconsin writes "Adopting these healthy habits may markedly lower the prevalence of early AMD, the number of people who develop advanced AMD in there lifetime, and healthcare costs associated with treatment for this condition." The results of this study also serve to show us that the risk of developing AMD is not just passed down to generations through DNA, but also through the behaviors and habits we are brought up with.
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