Associations Between Ambient Air Pollution and Five Common Vision-Threatening Ocular Diseases in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Large Prospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Ambient air pollution may exacerbate ocular conditions; however, comprehensive research on the effects of various pollutants remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the association between multiple air pollutants and the incidence of five common vision-threatening ocular diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: ) were assessed using land use regression models. Restricted cubic spline models and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the association between air pollution exposure and ocular disease incidence, with stratified analyses based on myopia status. RESULTS: exposure also correlated with a 67% higher risk of retinal detachment and a 44% higher risk of macular degeneration in the low-to-moderate myopic population. CONCLUSIONS: was associated with an increased risk of diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment, highlighting the importance of addressing air pollutants as an intervention for vision-threatening ocular diseases.