It turns out that there are several more reasons why it is essential to stay on top of your vision health.

Macular degeneration continues to threaten thousands of people who are mostly over the age of fifty. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Nearly 2.1 million Americans age 50 and older have late AMD [age related macular degeneration], the stage that can lead to severe vision impairment. In 2010, 9.1 million Americans had early AMD. By age 80, one in ten Americans has late AMD, which is more common in women than in men.”

In addition to these statistics, there are several surprising risks associated with macular degeneration that you will want to be aware of. Knowing these risks not only helps you assess your current health, but also enables you to figure out a few ways you can adjust some things to possibly help prevent them.

Overworked Heart

When your body is struggling to push blood through its system it is no wonder that the smallest pathways could suffer. This may be the reason that macular degeneration and coronary heart disease have been linked in a study conducted by researchers from University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Among 1680 participants between 2009-2012 it was concluded that,

“Severity of coronary stenosis and the presence of stenotic lesions were independently associated with early AMD. These findings could have potential clinical significance as they suggest that individuals with evidence of CAD may be screened for early AMD.”

If you suffer from heart disease or have a a history of cardiovascular challenges in your family the chances of developing early AMD could increase. In addition, other vision conditions and diseases have also been linked to heart disease including cataracts, retinopathy, and branch retinal vein occlusion.

Maintaining a diet that is rich in plant based foods, legumes, whole grains and low-fat proteins could be a way to prevent or potentially reverse macular degeneration. By reducing the extra work that the heart is doing to pump blood through closing arteries due to a processed food diet, there is a chance that much needed circulation delivered to the optical mechanism could result. More circulation means more oxygen and nutrients to strengthen the eyes rather than diminish their function altogether.

Brain Busting

AMD could be a causal link to the potential for brain hemorrhaging. In combined research, a Rotterdam Study published in Stroke showed the result of following 6,207 stroke-free participants who were diagnosed with AMD over thirteen years. Within this time frame 726 participants suffered stroke, with fifty-nine reporting a bleeding brain hemorrhage.

It was concluded that,

“late AMD is strongly associated with intracerebral hemorrhage, but not with cerebral infarction, in the general elderly population.” In the study discussion, it was stated, “In this prospective population-based cohort study among elderly people, we found that persons with late AMD had a higher risk of stroke than persons without AMD.”

Overall, these numbers may seem somewhat minimal, but in conventional medicine they are cause for beginning alarms. Fortunately, it has gained enough attention that more intricate studies are underway to determine if and how someone with AMD can be monitored to prevent a potential brain hemorrhage.

Of course a healthier lifestyle can’t hurt such as consuming more bran boosting foods like walnuts, spinach, beets, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, coconut oil and chia seeds.

These surprising risks linked to macular degeneration may open your eyes, literally, to potentially changing your lifestyle and making sure you remain steadfast with scheduled eye doctor visits. This combination, either before the risk age or after, could not only save your life but just may keep you seeing as clearly as possible for years to come.