People who engage in higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity have 24 per cent lower odds of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a large UK population study that also linked increased activity to thicker retinal layers.
The findings suggest that physical activity may be associated with healthier retinal structures, although researchers cautioned that the study could not establish whether exercise directly reduces the risk of AMD.
The study was presented by Anika Kumar, an ophthalmology resident at the University of California, San Francisco, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
AMD affects the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision, and can lead to progressive vision loss.
For the study, researchers analysed data from 11,165 adults in the UK Biobank who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans to assess their retinal structures and wore accelerometers for seven days to measure their physical activity.
According to Kumar, activities classified as moderate-to-vigorous included brisk walking and walking while carrying objects.
Participants were divided into four groups based on the amount of time they spent engaging in these activities. Those with higher activity levels generally had thicker outer retinal layers, including layers containing photoreceptors, which are essential for vision.
The researchers found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with 24 per cent lower odds of AMD, with an odds ratio of 0.77.
The association between physical activity and retinal thickness remained statistically significant after adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, refractive error, hypertension and diabetes.
Kumar said the findings revealed a dose-dependent relationship, with higher levels of physical activity associated with thicker retinal layers.
However, she identified the study’s cross-sectional design as a major limitation because it examined retinal structures at a single point in time. Consequently, the researchers could not establish whether increased physical activity preceded the observed differences.
She said further studies should use repeated OCT scans to monitor retinal changes over time and investigate possible biological explanations, including vascular and inflammatory mechanisms.
Meanwhile, Dagfinn Aune, a research fellow at Imperial College London who has studied physical activity and eye disease, said previous research examining the relationship between physical activity and AMD risk had produced inconsistent findings.
A recent meta-analysis by his research group suggested a possible protective effect, although the finding was not statistically significant.
Aune said the new study provided a different perspective by examining retinal structure as a possible mechanism linking physical activity with AMD risk.
However, he stressed that prospective studies were needed to establish the timing and nature of the relationship.
The findings point to a possible association between physical activity and better retinal health, but they do not establish that exercise prevents age-related macular degeneration.
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