In France, 20.48% of children aged 0 to 18 and 37% of adults are myopic, according to the largest study ever conducted on the subject.
In June 2018, researchers confirmed the hypothesis that the lack of natural light is an important trigger in the development of myopia. They have identified 161 new genes responsible for the development of myopia, the vast majority of which trigger this eye disease when they do not receive enough light while being very stressed.
During the 125th congress of the French Society of Ophthalmology, Pr Nicolas Leveziel, head of the ophthalmology department at the University Hospital of Poitiers presented the first data from largest study ever on myopia in France.
Initiated in 2016, it is based on the analysis of anonymized data collected over the past 5 years by 696 KRYS GROUP stores from 4 million customers. The objective is to better understand the incidence data of myopia, an increasingly widespread visual disorder since it is estimated that its prevalence will double worldwide by 2050.
20.48% of children and 37% of adults are myopic
The refractions (examinations intended to characterize and measure the importance of the optical defect of the eye) of more than 2,700,000 adults and 500,000 children were analyzed. The calculated frequencies were then related to the general French population via a correction factor, in order to establish the most faithful representation possible.
Results: “20.48% of children from 0 to 18 years old are nearsighteda figure that rises to 37% among‘adult, indicates the CHU in a communicated. In detail, low myopia concerns 20.5% of pediatric subjects. L‘Hyperopia, found in 13% of adults, is present in 5.4% of children who resort to optical correction. It could, however, be undervalued at this stage of the‘study, farsighted people do not systematically feel the need to resort to optical correction. As for presbyopia, its prevalence is estimated at 58% after 40 years.
Certain corrective factors are however still to be carried out according to Professor Leveziel by the end of the study, scheduled for 2022, in order to further improve the extrapolation of the results to the general population.
A distance vision abnormality
Myopia is a vision defect that results in clear near sight and blurred far sight. Increasingly common, it is corrected by glasses, contact lenses and now refractive surgery.
Some strong myopias, called “disease myopias”, evolve throughout life and go beyond -6 diopters (up to -30 diopters). In this case, they require regular monitoring by an ophthalmologist, as well as adaptation of optical correction throughout life.
Natural light, a cure for myopia?
In June 2018, researchers confirmed the hypothesis that the lack of natural light is an important trigger in the development of myopia. They have identified 161 new genes responsible for the development of myopia, the vast majority of which trigger this eye disease when they do not receive enough light while being very stressed.
“Sending your children to play outside for two hours every day in the light remains the best way to prevent myopia,” concludes Norbert Pfeiffer, lead author of the study. Some countries like Taiwan have thus arranged schooling by adding time outside. Myopia would decrease by 10% each year.
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