Effects of chronic smoking on color vision in young subjects

AIM: To evaluate the effects of chronic smoking on color vision in young subjects.METHODS: This study included 91 smokers and 88non-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.RESULTS: Mean age and the standard deviation was28±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).· CONCLUSION: This study suggested that chronic smoking affects the color vision of young smokers but this may not be sector selective.