Cocaine can cause blindness
People who use cocaine are at greater risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, an eye disorder and one of the most common causes of blindness.
Cocaine is known as a highly addictive brain stimulant and those who use it are believed to be at a high risk of developing heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures and even sudden death.
A new study conducted on 5.3 million men and women at the Department of Veterans Affairs' outpatient clinics in Indianapolis revealed that cocaine users were 45 percent more likely to develop open-angle glaucoma, the second cause of blindness among US Americans.
Glaucoma is a condition in which a pressure increase in the eye damages the optic nerve that carries visual information to the brain. Open angle glaucoma is the most common type of the disorder, affecting 70 to 80 percent of those who suffer from the condition.
According to the report published in the Journal of Glaucoma, the new study showed that cocaine users who developed the eye disorder were about 20 years younger than other glaucoma patients who did not abuse the substance.
Since most people begin using illicit drugs while in their teens or 20s, researchers suggested that cocaine users are at greater risk of early onset glaucoma.
Source: presstv.ir
