A warmer climate could mean worse eyesight for Americans

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Older American adults who live in warmer regions are more likely to have severe visual impairment than those who live in cooler places, new research shows.

“This link between visual impairment and average county temperature is very concerning if future research determines that the association is causal,” the co-author said. Esme Fuller-Thomsondirector of the Institute of Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto.

“With climate change, we expect global temperatures to rise. It will be important to monitor whether the prevalence of visual impairment in older adults increases in the future,” she added in a school press release.

Compared to those who lived in counties with average temperatures below 50 degrees F, the risks of severe visual impairment were 14% higher for those who lived in counties with average temperatures of 50 to 54.99 degrees, according to the study.

The risk was 24% higher for those in places where temperatures averaged 55 to 59.99 degrees. For those basking in even warmer territory, the chances of vision loss were 44% higher.

Even with differences in age, gender and income, the relationship held.

“It was powerful to see that the link between visual impairment and temperature was consistent across so many demographic factors, including income,” the co-author said. Elysia Fuller-Thomsongraduate student at the University of Toronto.

The researchers found a stronger association in people aged 65 to 79 compared to those aged 80 and over, and in men compared to women. It was also stronger for whites than for blacks.

They said it is not known why the temperature has this impact.

Potential causes are increased exposure to ultraviolet rays, air pollution, infections and the breakdown of folic acid with increasing temperature, the researchers noted.

This is concerning because vision problems are a major cause of disability and functional limitations, contributing to falls and poorer quality of life, the authors noted.

Data for the study comes from six consecutive waves of the American Community Survey of Americans 65 and older.

The visual impairment question was: “Is this person blind or does he have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?”

The researchers used average temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, combining it with data from the American Community Survey.

SOURCE: University of Toronto, news release, June 29, 2023

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