Effects of chronic smoking on color vision in young subjects

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

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.

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).

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