Effects of chronic smoking on color vision in young subjects

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of chronic smoking on color vision in young subjects.

Methods: This study included 91 smokers and 88 non-smokers (a total of 179 volunteers) without any ophthalmologic and systemical disorders. The subjects were between 18-40 years of age with a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20, normal anterior and posterior segment examinations and normal intraocular pressure. The color vision of the subjects were evaluated with Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test (FMHT). The total error scores and axis calculation were performed for each subject and the results correlated.

Results: Mean age and the standard deviation was 28±5y in the smokers group, and 26.7±5.5y in the control group (P=0.101). Sex distribution was similar in the two groups (P=0.365). There was no significant correlation between age and FMHT total error scores (P=0.069). Median of FMHT total error scores of smokers and non-smokers were 65 and 50.50, respectively. FMHT total error scores was found significantly higher in smokers than non-smokers (P=0.004). There was no statisticaly significant difference between smoker and non-smoker groups with respect to axis ratio calculation (P=0.611). There was no significant correlation with FMHT total error scores with neither smoking duration nor number of cigarettes smoked per day (P=0.405, P=0.454, respectively).

Conclusion: This study suggested that chronic smoking affects the color vision of young smokers but this may not be sector selective.

Keywords: cigarette smoking; color vision defect; vision test.

Figure 1. FHMT results of smoking and non smoking subjects

A: FMHT of a smoker. Total number of errors of this subject was 52. Sector 1+3=24 (blue-yellow partial number of errors) and sector 2+4=28 (red-green partial number of errors). B: FMHT of a non-smoker. Total number of errors of this subject was 12. Sector 1+3=7 (blue-yellow partial number of errors), sector 2+4=5 (red-green partial number of errors).