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Alcohol and Eye Diseases: A Review of Epidemiologic Studies
Yoshimune Hiratsuka, Guohua Li
Objective: Epidemiologic evidence for the associations of alcohol consumption with eye diseases was gathered. Method: A literature review was conducted. Results: In addition to alcohol-induced ocular anomalies among children with fetal alcohol syndrome, epidemiologic studies in the past two decades have demonstrated that chronic alcoholism is associated with a significantly increased risk of cataract, keratitis, color vision deficiencies and corneal arcus. Moderate alcohol use, however, has been reported to be possibly protective against age-related macular degeneration, cataract and diabetic retinopathy. Conclusions: It is evident that through its biologic effects and effects on nutrient deficits alcohol plays a role in a variety of eye diseases. Information on the patient’s drinking history can be clinically valuable and should be collected on a routine basis. (J. Stud. Alcohol 62: 397-402, 2001)
