The results of a new “case-control” study, which revealed a link between nighttime outdoor artificial light and the risk of developing exudative form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using national population data from South Korea, were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Under the guidance of Anul Ha, MD, from the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of National University of Jeju, a group of researchers found that residents of urban areas are more likely to develop exudative form of AMD, especially in elderly men aged 70 years and older.

The data for the study were taken from the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, which covers 99.8% of the population of South Korea from 2008 to 2020. 60% of the study participants were those who live in urban areas, where the average level of nighttime outdoor artificial light was 3 times higher than in other urban areas. “These regional differences suggest the presence of a potential threshold, above which the levels of artificial lighting at night outdoors can increase the risk of AMD,” the researchers write. “The levels of nighttime outdoor artificial light in rural areas may not have exceeded the threshold associated with increased risk. In addition, the potential impact of region-specific factors cannot be completely ruled out.” The researchers also noted that differences in lifestyle between urban and rural areas could also affect the results of the study.

Source: Kim SH; Kim YK, Shin YI, et al. Nighttime outdoor artificial light and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(1):e2351650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.51650 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10792474/