A major new study reveals that people with vitiligo, a skin condition that destroys pigment-producing cells, are substantially more likely to develop serious eye diseases including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Researchers analyzed data from over 76,000 patients with vitiligo and found they experienced significantly higher rates of vision-threatening conditions, suggesting that the autoimmune process affecting skin may also target the eyes .

What Eye Diseases Are Vitiligo Patients at Higher Risk For?

The research, presented at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) conference in April 2026, examined 20 years of medical records to understand the connection between vitiligo and ocular disease. The study compared nearly 77,000 patients with vitiligo to a matched control group of the same size, tracking them over five years to identify which eye conditions developed at higher rates .

The findings were striking across multiple vision-threatening conditions:

• Diabetic Retinopathy: Patients with vitiligo were 32.3% more likely to develop this condition, which damages blood vessels in the retina and can lead to vision loss.
• Glaucoma: The risk increased by 26.3%, making this pressure-related eye disease significantly more common in the vitiligo population.
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Vitiligo patients showed a 49.8% higher risk of AMD, which affects the central vision needed for reading and recognizing faces.
• Vitreous Hemorrhage: This serious bleeding inside the eye was 67.2% more likely to occur in people with vitiligo.
• Glaucoma Suspect Status: Patients were 34.1% more likely to be flagged as having early signs of glaucoma.

Beyond these primary diagnoses, the study also found that vitiligo patients required more intensive eye treatments. They were significantly more likely to need intravitreal injections (injections directly into the eye), panretinal photocoagulation (laser treatment for advanced diabetic retinopathy), and vitrectomy (surgical removal of the gel inside the eye) .

Why Does Vitiligo Increase Eye Disease Risk?

Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment in the skin. The new research suggests this autoimmune process may extend to the eyes, where melanocytes also play a protective role. The retina and other eye structures contain melanin-producing cells, and if the immune system targets these cells in the eye as it does in the skin, it could trigger inflammation and damage that leads to multiple eye diseases .

"These findings suggest systemic autoimmune involvement and highlight the importance of regular ocular surveillance in this population," the research team explained.

Research team, Florida International University and collaborating institutions

This systemic autoimmune involvement means the problem isn't limited to one part of the body. Instead, the immune dysfunction affecting the skin in vitiligo may be part of a broader pattern that puts multiple eye structures at risk simultaneously.

How Should People With Vitiligo Protect Their Vision?

Given these findings, eye care experts are recommending changes to how vitiligo patients receive medical care. The research team emphasized that early detection and prevention are critical, since many of these eye diseases can be managed effectively if caught early.

• Regular Eye Screening: People with vitiligo should have comprehensive eye exams more frequently than standard guidelines recommend, allowing ophthalmologists to detect early signs of glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy before vision loss occurs.
• Interdisciplinary Care Coordination: Dermatologists treating vitiligo should communicate with eye care specialists to ensure patients receive appropriate ocular surveillance and that any eye disease risk factors are monitored closely.
• Diabetes Management: Since diabetic retinopathy risk is elevated, vitiligo patients should maintain tight control of blood sugar levels if they have diabetes, as this is one of the most modifiable risk factors for eye disease.
• Blood Pressure Monitoring: Hypertension increases the risk of both glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, so maintaining healthy blood pressure is especially important for this population.
• Lifestyle Modifications: Avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of multiple eye diseases that vitiligo patients are already predisposed to develop.

The study controlled for many common risk factors including age, sex, race, ethnicity, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lung disease, thyroid problems, and smoking history. Even after accounting for these factors, the increased eye disease risk in vitiligo patients remained significant, suggesting that vitiligo itself, independent of these other conditions, contributes to eye disease development .

Researchers from Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, and other leading institutions conducted this retrospective cohort study using data from April 2005 through April 2025. The large sample size and long follow-up period make this one of the most comprehensive examinations of the vitiligo-eye disease connection to date .

For the millions of people living with vitiligo worldwide, these findings underscore an important message: the condition affects more than just skin appearance. Regular communication with eye care providers and proactive screening can help catch vision-threatening diseases early, when treatment is most effective.