Alcohol consumption linked to macular degeneration

Men and women who consume more than 20 grams of alcohol a day increased their risk of developing macular degeneration by almost 20 percent according to the findings of a recent study. There are about 15 grams of alcohol in a standard glass of beer or wine. The study was conducted by researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia and evaluated the data from almost 21,000 people who participated in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort study. Participants in the Melbourne study were between the ages of 40 and 69 and the study took place between 1990 and 1994. Researchers looked at the alcohol consumption indicated in the baseline surveys and compared it to the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration between 2003 and 2007. While earlier studies had demonstrated a link between heavy drinking and eye health, there was very little evidence that there was a link between moderate drinking and age-related macular degeneration.*