Rise of myopia in children poses health risks

Increasing awareness of the alarming rise in myopia among children – described as an ‘epidemic’ in some quarters – raises long-term health issues.

The recent paper by Ian Flitcroft of the Children’s University Hospital, Dublin, reported on the effect of myopia in relation to glaucoma and retinal detachment: ‘Myopia represents a major risk factor for ocular disease that is comparable with the risks associated with hypertension for cardiovascular disease. The myopia risks for glaucoma and cataract were also comparable with the risks of stroke from smoking 20 cigarettes per day.

‘For retinal detachment and myopic maculopathy, myopia carries a risk far in excess of any identified population risk factor for cardiovascular disease.’