A Tufts University study indicates diet may play a role in the development of age-related macular degeneration, an eye condition that causes central vision loss.

Researchers found women who ate a diet high in certain carbohydrates, including French fries and white bread, were more likely to develop the condition that those who ate a diet lower in those kinds of foods.

Researchers said they are not sure eating bad carbohydrates causes age-related macular degeneration, and that it may be the lifestyle associated with that diet that does.

The study found women who had a diet with a higher glycemic index developed macular degeneration more often than women with a low glycemic index. An estimated 1.75 million Americans age 40 and over have some version of macular degeneration.