A study published in the journal Ophthalmology finds that individuals who stay physically active and have an occasional drink may decrease the chance of visual impairment.

Visual impairment is the loss of sight caused by eye disease, injury or a degenerative condition that cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine analyzed data collected from nearly 5,000 Wisconsin adults, aged 43 to 84, from 1988 to 2013. Over 20 years, 5.4 percent of them developed visual impairment.

Visual impairment occurred in 6.7 percent of people who were inactive compared to 2 percent of people who exercised three or more times a week. After adjusting for age, the researchers found that people who got regular exercise were 58 percent less likely to develop vision problems than those who were inactive.

The researchers also found that non-drinkers were more likely to become visually impaired than occasional drinkers, those who have less than one serving in an average week. 11 percent of non-drinkers developed visual impairment, compared with 4.8 percent of occasional drinkers. Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers, however, were slightly more likely than nondrinkers and nonsmokers to develop visual impairment. 

There are some questions that arose from the Beaver Dam Eye Study like how long the sessions of physical activity were. Also, individuals with more sedentary lifestyles were less likely to return for a follow-up session.

The researchers still feel confident that their study shows the protective benefits of physical activity against visual impairment.

Dr. Ronald Klein, lead researcher of the study, says, "Lifestyle behaviors like smoking, drinking and physical activity, however, can be altered. So, it's promising, in terms of possible prevention, that these behaviors are associated with developing visual impairment over the long term. However, further research is needed to determine whether modifying these behaviors will in fact lead to a direct reduction in vision loss."

Additional Resources:

Relation of Smoking, Drinking, and Physical Activity to Changes in Vision over a 20-Year Period: