Excess belly fat has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other cardiovascular problems, and now an Australian study says it may pose a risk of age-related macular degeneration in middle-age men.
However, the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found the opposite effect in women, and said that may be partially due to the protective effects of long-term exposure to the hormone estrogen, according to the Wall Street Journal.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Health experts say that genetic changes and certain risk factors cause AMD, but treatment options are limited.
The study followed more than 21,000 Australians beginning from when they were in their 40s to their mid-80s. Researchers discovered that each 0.1 increase in participants’ waist-hip ratio was associated with a 13 percent increased chance of developing early-stage AMD, and a 75 percent increased chance of the more severe late-stage AMD, but only in men.
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