Charities fund research into impact of disrupted body clocks on myopia

Fight for Sight and the Thomas Pocklington Trust have funded research into how a disrupted natural body clock affects the development of myopia.

A research team from Ulster University has planned to study children at both low and high risk of developing myopia by acquiring saliva samples and analysing melatonin levels. They will also look at data about family history, sleep quality and personality type, in the hope that the samples and data could provide evidence that a healthy circadian rhythm can help prevent myopia.

Dr Neil Ebenezer, director of research, policy and innovation at Fight for Sight, said: ‘It’s important to establish if there are any links between circadian rhythm and short-sightedness, which is actually on the increase in children. The knowledge gained from this research project could help in the development of new treatments. In the future regulating melatonin levels could pave the way for treating those at risk of myopia.’