Heavy class A drug use linked to heightened risk of sight loss in US military

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/b-hca081220.php

 

 

News Release 13-Aug-2020
BMJ

 

 

Heavy use of class A drugs, such as heroin, methamphetamine, or cocaine is linked to a heightened risk of partial or total blindness among US military personnel, finds research published online in the journal BMJ Military Health.

The condition, which affects the ability to read, drive, and recognise faces, is more common among military personnel than it is among civilians, possibly because of certain risk factors that are unique to active service in the US Armed Forces, say the researchers.

Several behavioural and health factors are associated with sight loss. These include HIV infection; high blood pressure; smoking; diabetes; poor diet; sedentary lifestyle; cancer; depression; gum disease; and social and economic deprivation.

It's not clear whether illicit drug use might compound these factors or represent an independent risk factor in its own right, or what role experience of military service might have.


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tags: drug use, drug abuse