Hyderabad: A 15-year eye study in rural Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has found that eight out of 100 people who did not have short-sightedness (myopia) at the start developed it later, pointing to a steady rise in new cases even in rural areas.Myopia is a common refractive error in which distant objects appear blurred while near objects remain clear. It usually begins in childhood as the eyeball grows longer, but adults can also develop a “myopic shift” due to age-related changes in the eye lens.Published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry, the findings are from the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS), a large population survey led by city-based LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). Participants examined between 1996 and 2000 were re-examined between 2012 and 2016, allowing researchers to track new cases over time.After excluding people with myopia or lens changes at the start, researchers analysed 2,071 participants under 30 and 755 aged 30 and above. All underwent detailed eye examinations, including visual acuity and refraction.Overall, 8% developed myopia over the 15-year period, with similar rates among younger (8%) and older (7.8%) participants. Among those under 30, women recorded a higher incidence (9.9%) than men (6.1%). In the 30-plus group, the trend reversed, with 10.4% of men and 5.5% of women developing myopia.Researchers noted that nuclear sclerosis, a type of cataract, can cause a myopic shift in older adults. Alcohol consumption was another risk factor identified among older participants.The World Health Organization has projected that half the global population could be myopic by 2050.“Assessing the incidence of myopia can help us understand how new cases develop over time. With projections that half of the world’s population will be myopic by 2050, data from studies like APEDS provide valuable insights to plan strategies to address the growing burden,” said Dr Rohit Khanna, network director, LVPEI, and author of the study.
