User:Srevisu/Air pollution

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Eye disease
A 2021 study in the UK has suggested a possible association between higher exposure to air pollution and risk of cataract surgery. This study investigated PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) exposure, estimated based on land use models, and identified participants undergoing cataract surgery based on National Health Service data. The authors of this study did note that the relatively low effect estimates and increased risk of 5% indicate a need for further research in determining the existence of a causal relationship.

A prospective study published in 2023 measured the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer in participants over a span of 11 years, aiming to identify associations between air pollution and the development of glaucoma. Air pollution measures used included PM2.5, NO2, and black carbon (BC). The researchers concluded that there was a strong association between exposure to PM2.5 and retinal degeneration, even at air pollution levels below the current European recommended thresholds.. This association and similar results have also been seen in a 2021 case-control study in Taiwan. In this study, doubling monthly exposure to PM2.5 increased the risk of developing glaucoma by 66 percent.

Dry eye disease (DED), which has been diagnosed at increasing rates in recent decades, has also been associated with increased air pollution. A 2018 study published in Taiwan measured the ambient temperature, levels of NO2, and carbon monoxide (CO) of patients experiencing DED. The researchers found that all of these measures were positively associated with the development of DED at a statistically significant level.

Another Taiwanese study from 2022 sought to identify the relationship between PM2.5 and the development of macular degeneration. Using over 4 million participants in a cohort study, and PM2.5 measurements via satellite, the researchers concluded that participants had a 19 percent increased risk of macular degeneration with just a 10 microgram increase in PM2.5 exposure.

A Chinese study published in 2020 identified a significant effect of 10 microgram increases in PM2.5 exposure on the development of conjunctivitis. This effect was noted to be acute and most significant at the current day, with effects dropping off after a period of 2 days. The impact was also significantly affected by socioeconomic and demographical factors, leading the authors to also conclude that vulnerable populations are those most at risk.