According to a new study smoking continues to pose a risk to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), even after the age of 80.

The center of the retina, macula, is damaged by AMD. The damaged macula results in difficulty to read, drive and recognize faces. One experiences darkness and a blurred sight.

Smoking is believed to be the second most common risk factor for AMD after age.

"The take-home message is that it’s never too late to quit smoking. We found that even older people’s eyes will benefit from kicking the habit," said lead author Dr Anne Coleman, professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA.

About 1,958 women went through retinal photographs that were taken at intervals of five-year. Four percent, or 75 of the women in the group, smoked.

Women who were smokers had 11 per cent higher rates of AMD than women of their age who did not smoke. In women over 80 observations stated that those who smoked were 5.5 times more likely to develop AMD than women who did not.

In January the American Journal of Ophthalmology will publishe the findings.