Tobacco use and its effect on diabetic retinopathy risks

Diabetic retinopathy, a vascular pathology of the retina, affects one in three patients with impaired glucose metabolism and remains a leading cause of preventable blindness globally. While genetics and the duration of diabetes influence the progression of the disease, lifestyle factors—specifically tobacco use—are identified as critical drivers of vision loss. Impact of Tobacco Combustion on the Retina The primary danger to the eyes stems not from nicotine itself, but from the toxic combustion products found in tobacco smoke. These substances trigger oxidative stress and severely disrupt blood supply to ocular tissues. According to Professor Igor Loskutov, patients who smoke face a significantly higher probability of developing severe visual complications. Endocrinologist Ekaterina Orlova explained to Pravda.Ru that smoking in patients with diabetes essentially blocks the nutrition of the eye's microvessels, accelerating degenerative processes dozens of times.