The Association between Smoking and Epiretinal Membrane

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Epiretinal membrane (ERM) is a common condition affecting vision.
• The association between smoking and ERM remains incompletely understood.
• Existing literature presents conflicting evidence on this relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis evaluating the association between smoking and the incidence of epiretinal membrane (ERM).
• To synthesize findings from observational and analytic studies to clarify the role of smoking in ERM development.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases.
• Inclusion of cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies meeting predefined criteria.
• Pooled analysis of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random-effects models.

Main Results:

• Eight studies (2 cohort, 6 cross-sectional) with 46,837 participants were included.
• Overall meta-analysis revealed a significant decreased association between smoking and ERM (OR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.61-0.84).
• Subgroup analyses generally supported the decreased association, with some exceptions in specific classifications and populations.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence suggests a potential protective effect of smoking against epiretinal membrane (ERM) development.
• This unexpected finding warrants further investigation to confirm the observed inverse relationship.
• Additional research is crucial to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between smoking and ERM.