By reprogramming the cells of the immune system, obesity is one of the most important non-genetic risk factors for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) immediately after smoking.
That’s according to a study published in the journal Science, which found that life stressors disrupt the DNA architecture of inflammatory cells, making them destructive to the eye during aging.
By examining the genes responsible for AMD, the scientists found that variations and mutations only increased, but did not cause, the risk of developing the disease. This assumption led researchers to consider other factors, such as environment and lifestyle, should be considered.
Normally, immune cells keep the eye healthy, but are activated after encounters with pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
This study showed that immune cells are also activated when the body is exposed to stressors such as excess fat in obesity.
AMD is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting approximately 196 million people in 2020.
This project was led by Dr. Przemyslaw (Mike) Sapieha and supervised by his postdoc Dr. Masayuki Hata from the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center and the University of Montreal.