A new review suggests that healthy kidneys may play an important role in protecting eyesight as people age.
Scientists found that people with chronic kidney disease were more likely to have age-related macular degeneration, a common eye disease that can gradually steal central vision.
The research appears in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Age-related macular degeneration mainly affects older adults and is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
At the same time, chronic kidney disease is becoming increasingly common because of aging populations, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Since both conditions damage tiny blood vessels and involve long-term inflammation, scientists have wondered whether they may be related.
To investigate, researchers examined results from observational studies involving thousands of participants, together with genetic analyses. Combining information from many studies allowed them to estimate the overall relationship more accurately than any single study alone.
The results showed that people with chronic kidney disease had a modestly higher chance of developing AMD. The association was strongest for dry AMD, while evidence for the wet form of the disease was less certain.
People with poorer kidney function, measured by lower eGFR, also had higher odds of AMD. Those receiving long-term dialysis appeared to have an even greater risk. Genetic evidence further suggested that reduced kidney function may play a direct role, although more studies are needed.
The authors also looked at other kidney markers, including albumin in the urine, which may indicate kidney damage. These markers generally pointed in the same direction, suggesting that worsening kidney health may be linked with worsening eye health.
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Source: Jeddah Eye Hospital.
