Study Finds Slightly Higher Eye Disease Rate Among Ex-Smokers Who Switched to Vapes vs. Those Who Quit Nicotine

Adults who switched from cigarettes to smokeless nicotine products developed serious eye diseases at a higher rate than those who quit nicotine completely, according to a study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Researchers at Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul analyzed health records from 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service.

All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and had quit by 2018 or 2019.

The team created a matched group of 32,316 participants with similar age, gender, medical history, health conditions and lifestyle habits. Participants were divided into complete nicotine quitters and those who switched to products such as vapes. Researchers tracked the group for an average of 4.6 years and recorded 6,328 major eye disease events, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.

Complete quitters recorded 41.1 eye disease cases per 1,000 person-years. Those who switched to smokeless nicotine products recorded 44 cases per 1,000 person-years, a 7% higher rate. The switch was linked to a 24% higher risk of diabetic retinopathy and a 7% higher risk of refractive and accommodation disorders.

"These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless," the researchers noted. The study relied on retrospective insurance data and self-reported smoking and vaping habits, which the authors said limits its ability to prove direct causation.

They concluded that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.