Higher education led to short-sightedness
British researchers found that higher education may lead to myopia. After analyzing data on more than 67 thousand Britons, the researchers found that each additional year of education after 16 years can lead to a reduction in the optical power of the eye 0.27 diopter. This was reported in the BMJ.
With myopia (also known as myopia) eyeball in the sky, because of which the image is formed not on the retina but in front of her. Depending on the severity of the condition one sees in a relative distance objects blurry and fuzzy. In 2016, scientists estimate that by 2050 short-sighted will be half the population of the Earth. In addition, severe myopia may lead to degradation of the retina and blindness. That is why it is very important to determine the causes of the risk of vision problems.
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Myopia is an inheritable disease, but risk factors can be both genetic and external (environmental factors). For example, myopia has also been associated with intensive visual load, especially when reading and using computer or gadgets. Despite a clear relationship, has still received little evidence in favor of a causal relationship between education as a cause and as a consequence of myopia.
Fix it decided a team of scientists under the leadership of Edward Mountjoy (Edward Mountjoy) from the University of Bristol. They collected used about 67798 project participants UK Biobank and tested two types of communication: between the predisposition to myopia with the number of years of education and predisposition to higher education with the presence of myopia. On the basis of previous studies, scientists have identified 44 genetic variant associated with the development of myopia, and 69 with a predisposition to higher education. Each participant was also information available about the level of vision (the optical power of the lens measured in diopters) and the total number of years spent on education.