Myopia News and Research

RSS

Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed.

Mass. Eye and Ear ophthalmologists offer new type of minimally-invasive laser vision correction

Ophthalmologists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear are now offering a new type of minimally-invasive laser vision correction, the ReLEx SMILE procedure. FDA-approved in 2016, and with more than 750,000 procedures performed worldwide each year, SMILE is a proven laser procedure for the treatment of myopia (nearsightedness).

16 Jun 2017

New contact lens therapy shows potential to impact rising prevalence of myopia in children

A pioneering contact lens therapy has considerable potential to impact the rising prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) in children, according to highly-anticipated study outcomes presented today at the British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference in Liverpool, England.

12 Jun 2017

New review provides reassurance to safety of soft contact lenses in children

Available evidence suggests that soft contact lenses can be safely prescribed to children and adolescents, with no increase in adverse effects compared to adults, according to a review in the June issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

2 Jun 2017

Northwestern Medicine scientists discover retinal cell that may cause myopia

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a cell in the retina that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions. The dysfunction may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away from natural light.

6 Feb 2017

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

New concepts of infectious disease are evolving with the realization that pathogens are key players in the development of progressive chronic diseases that originally were not thought to be infectious. Infection is well-known to be associated with numerous neurological diseases for which...

12 Jan 2017

New contact lens therapy effective in slowing progression of juvenile-onset myopia, study shows

A groundbreaking contact lens therapy has potential to impact the fast-growing issue of myopia (nearsightedness) among children, based on research presented at the American Academy of Optometry's 95th Annual Meeting.

8 Dec 2016

Researchers call sun avoidance as emerging health problem in the U.S.

A landmark study published Friday in the Journal Dermato-Endocrinology has world-renowned researchers calling insufficient sun exposure an emerging health problem in the United States.

21 Nov 2016

Education has greater influence on development of myopia than cognitive ability, study finds

Environmental factors such as education and leisure activities have a greater influence on the development of short-sightedness or myopia than the ability to think logically and solve problems.

16 Nov 2016

GW scientist awarded $2.8 million NIH grant to continue research on corneal wound healing

George Washington University researcher Mary Ann Stepp, Ph.D., received a $2.8 million, five-year R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue her 27 years of research on corneal wound healing.

2 Nov 2016

FDA approval of VisuMax Femtosecond Laser expands surgical treatment options for myopia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the VisuMax Femtosecond Laser for the small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) procedure to reduce or eliminate nearsightedness in certain patients 22 years of age or older.

14 Sep 2016

Lens doesn't compensate for astigmatic defocus of the eye, study reveals

For people with nearsightedness (myopia), the lens doesn't compensate for growth or other changes in the structure of the eye, according to a long-term follow-up study in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

29 Aug 2016

Study estimates real-world prevalence of myopic choroidal neovascularization in the U.S.

A new study estimates that 9.6 million adults in the United States are highly myopic, or severely nearsighted. Of those, nearly 820,000 have a degenerative form of the disease and more than 41,000 suffer a complication called myopic choroidal neovascularization that could cause long-term vision loss, with women at higher risk.

22 Jun 2016

NIH-funded study finds visual impairment, blindness may double by 2050

With the youngest of the baby boomers hitting 65 by 2029, the number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to projections based on the most recent census data and from studies funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

23 May 2016

Scientists identify genetic mechanisms behind development of myopia

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is the most common disorder affecting the eyesight and it is on the increase. The causes are both genetic and environmental.

22 Apr 2016

Increasing exposure to outdoor light key to reducing short-sightedness in children

Increasing exposure to outdoor light is the key to reducing the myopia (short-sightedness) epidemic in children, according to ground-breaking research by Australian optometrists.

7 Apr 2016

New technologies go far beyond traditional use of contact lenses for vision correction

Imagine contact lenses that can deliver medicines directly to the eye, slow progression of nearsightedness in children, or monitor glucose levels in patients with diabetes.

1 Apr 2016

Added benefit of aflibercept not proven in myopic choroidal neovascularisation

Aflibercept (trade name: Eylea) has been approved since October 2015 for adults with impaired vision due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation.

2 Mar 2016

$Uncorrected refractive error responsible for vision impairment in 101 million people worldwide$

Uncorrected refractive error responsible for vision impairment in 101 million people worldwide

Uncorrected refractive error (URE)--nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other focusing problems correctable by prescription lenses--is responsible for moderate to severe vision impairment in 101 million people and blindness in seven million people worldwide, reports a study in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

27 Feb 2016

Study finds that half the world's population to be short-sighted by 2050

Half the world's population (nearly 5 billion) will be short-sighted (myopic) by 2050, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends continue, says a study published in the journal Ophthalmology.

18 Feb 2016

Wearing glasses could significantly improve reading speed for children with severe astigmatism

For children with severe astigmatism, wearing glasses to correct blurred vision can significantly improve accurate reading speed, reports a study in the February issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

28 Jan 2016