SMOKERS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO LOSE THEIR SIGHT IN LATER LIFE COMPARED TO NON-SMOKERS, CAMPAIGNERS WARNED WEDNESDAY. MANY OF THE UK'S 13 MILLION SMOKERS WILL BE UNAWARE OF THE LINK BETWEEN SMOKING AND AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (AMD), WHICH CAN LEAD TO BLINDNESS. BUT THE BRITISH CHARITY ''AMD ALLIANCE UK'' SAID THE LINK BETWEEN SMOKING AND THE CONDITION WAS NOW AS ROBUST AS THE LINK BETWEEN SMOKING AND LUNG CANCER. AMD IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF SIGHT LOSS IN THE UK, WITH AROUND 500,000 SUFFERERS. AN ESTIMATED 54,000 PEOPLE HAVE AMD AS A RESULT OF SMOKING. NOW A REPORT BY THE CHARITY HAS UNCOVERED WIDESPREAD IGNORANCE ABOUT THE CONDITION. A SURVEY OF OVER 1,000 PEOPLE CARRIED OUT BY THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND (RNIB) FOUND THAT ONLY SEVEN PERCENT KNEW THAT AMD AFFECTED THE EYES. --More 2231 Local Time 1931 GMT
