An investigation into whether blue light exposure contributes to the onset of macular degeneration, to justify supplying a blue-blocking lens for retinal protection

By Nicola Stokoe FBDO INTRODUCTION Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of patients registering as partially sighted (Bennion et al, 2012) in developed society. One implicated factor into the onset of ARMD is blue light, which is part of the visible spectrum at 400nm to 480nm (Walker et al, 2012), this is a short wavelength for visible light. As rod photoreceptors are highly sensitive to shorter wavelength light, concerns arise for the effect upon a patient’s scotopic vision (Kiser et al, 2008).