Myopia: Controlling the heretofore uncontrollable?
Humans are becoming increasingly shortsighted. That's not a knock against society's growing Now Generation but a statement of fact: Myopia is on the increase, and we're not sure why.
By 2050, half the world's population could be myopic, with nearly one-fifth at significantly increased risk of blindness, claimed a February 2016 study that garnered international attention.
Currently, myopia affects nearly 41% of the U.S. population, and it's even more pronounced elsewhere—South Korea, for instance, saw a myopic spike in 20-year-olds from 18 to 95% in the past 50 years. That's cause for concern, especially as myopia typically develops first in school-age children.
It's no surprise, then, that parents are searching for answers. A recent CNN article illustrated the plight, titled, "Parents opt for unapproved treatments instead of glasses for their children," and in which parents detail their experiences with nightly wear, orthokeratology (Ortho-K) or even atropine drops.
Myopia is really turning heads, and not just those of parents. So, too, are community eye doctors, academics, manufacturers and public health experts, comprising the greater eye care community, putting their noggins together to better understand the precipitators of this refractive error.
"(Myopia) seems to be increasing too fast to be explained by genetics," CNN quoted Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D., AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section past chair, as saying.
"Nobody really knows why the prevalence of myopia is on the rise."
AOA series addresses concerns about myopia management
With the prevalence of myopia on the rise worldwide, an AOA webinar attempts to erase concern over barriers to providing myopia management. The webinar kicked off a three-event series focused on raising awareness of myopia management as a standard of care especially for children. Next is “Meet the Myopia Experts” on Saturday, June 24, at Optometry’s Meeting® 2023 in Washington, D.C.
AOA serving patients through research in optometry
For the fifth consecutive year, the AOA is sponsoring the Investigator Initiated Research Award. Investigators are invited to electronically submit proposals by July 1 for projects designed to increase knowledge through basic clinical and/or translational science relative to the continuum of eye and vision care. The AOA provides a maximum of $50,000 in direct costs for research conduct. Eric Ritchey, O.D., Ph.D., talks about his current research on low-level light therapy for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction, which can lead to dry eye disease.
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