Increasing rates of myopia found in the UK

Researchers at University College London have identified an increase in rates of myopia that started over a decade ago and attributed the rise to environmental factors.

Senior author Professor Jugnoo Rahi, said: ‘Our team has shown here that there is a clear rise in the rates of short-sightedness, likely due to changing environmental factors and we now need to understand how we can slow these rises.’

A study published in PLOS One found there were a higher number of people diagnosed with short-sightedness within the younger population than those born between 1939 and 1944.

Researchers analysed UK Biobank data of 107,442 people aged between 40 and 69, with eye examinations carried out and information provided about their history of vision problems. Data was then used to study changing levels of myopia in people born between 1939 and 1970.