2023-07-19 08:30:00
Caroline Celle, 6Medias, published on Wednesday July 19, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.
A French study by Inserm shows that air pollution alters the nerve layer of the retina, the membrane of our eyes, reports Numerama.
Air pollution has even more negative effects on health than one might think. In addition to promoting allergies and lung diseases, it can attack our central nervous system. A French study by Inserm, unveiled by NumeramaTuesday, July 18, demonstrates the effects of this air pollution on our eyes.
This accelerates eye aging.
The study followed 683 participants, in Bordeaux, for an entire decade. Every two years, people over the age of 75 had an eye exam to monitor the condition of their eyes. In particular, it was a question of monitoring the thickness of the nerve layer of their retina, this transparent membrane at the back of the eye which allows vision to be delivered.
However, the thinning of the retina is abnormal. It indicates glaucoma, a neurodegenerative eye disease that gradually destroys the optic nerve and causes blindness.
Higher risk of blindness
The study also tracked participants’ surroundings to measure their level of exposure to air pollution. Certain elements make it possible to measure this level, such as air monitoring stations, proximity to roads, population density, altitude or distance from the sea.
The results show that people who have been exposed to higher concentrations of fine particles have a faster thinning of the retinal nerve layer. This research has therefore shown that air pollution increases the risk of glaucoma. More generally, they make it possible to study the effects of atmospheric pollutants on neurological aging.
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