Analysis of factors related to the development of ocular biometric parameters in Chinese children aged 6-10 years: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Emmetropia depends on the precise coordination of ocular biometry, including axial length (AL), corneal curvature, lens thickness and anterior chamber depth (ACD). Disruption of this coordination leads to refractive errors such as myopia. This article aimed to determine the factors affecting ocular biometry and myopia development in young children. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was conducted in a primary school in the Yanqing district of Beijing, China. PARTICIPANTS: 792 students in grades 1-3 without hyperopia (>+2.00 D), strabismus, or amblyopia were selected. EXCLUSIONS: students had conditions affecting best corrected visual acuity and whose guardians refused to provide informed consent. Ocular biometric measurements and non-cycloplegia autorefraction were performed. The questionnaire addressed factors such as perinatal factors and environmental factors. INTERVENTIONS: None. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Ocular biometry and myopia. RESULTS: According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, electronic screen use >2 hours/day (OR=2.175, p=0.013), paternal myopia (OR=1.761, p=0.002), maternal myopia (OR=1.718, p=0.005), taller height (OR=1.071, p<0.001), maternal education (OR=0.631, p=0.012) and maternal gestational hypertension (OR=0.330, p=0.042) were associated with myopia. AL was affected by female sex (OR=0.295, p<0.001), older age (OR=1.272, p=0.002) and taller height (OR=1.045, p<0.001). Female sex (OR=0.509, p<0.001), taller height (OR=1.046, p<0.001), use of electronic screens >2 hours each day (OR=3.596, p<0.001) and time spent outdoors >2 hours each day (OR=0.431, p=0.001) influenced ACD incidence. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was associated with older age (OR=1.113, p=0.008), paternal education (OR=1.474, p=0.007), premature birth (OR=0.494, p=0.031), history of blue light therapy in infancy (OR=0.636, p=0.041) and history of incubator therapy in infancy (OR=0.263, p=0.009). Only sex influenced corneal curvature. CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with myopia were partly related to ACD and AL, and perinatal factors were associated with myopia and CCT. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200065398.

Nutritional intake, environmental factors, and their impact on myopia prevalence in Korean children aged 5-12 years.

BACKGROUND: Myopia is a complex condition influenced by numerous factors, including genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices. Although evidence indicates that certain dietary factors may influence the development of myopia, this relationship is still not completely understood and is a topic of ongoing research. METHODS: This study analyzed the relationship between dietary habits, environmental factors, and the prevalence of myopia in a sample of 24,345 children aged 5-12 years from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII). The average daily intake of dietary nutrients associated with the refractive error status of the participants was analyzed using analysis of variance (GLM) and the Scheffe method for post-hoc comparison. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted between the participant's refractive error status and daily dietary nutrient intake, while taking into consideration the age, sex, BMI, parental myopia, and near-work hours. RESULTS: The risk of myopia increased with age, especially notable between ages 11 and 12, and was higher in children with both parents having myopia. Dietary factors played a crucial role; children with myopia had significantly lower intake of fat, omega-3 fatty acids, and retinol but higher intake of other nutrients compared to emmetropic and hyperopic counterparts. High consumption of carbohydrates, protein, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and sodium was associated with increased myopia risk. High sodium intake was particularly associated with a 2.05-fold increased myopia risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant role of diet and lifestyle choices in the development of myopia in children. Our findings suggest the importance of considering these specific factors in the management and prevention strategies for myopia, underscoring the need for targeted interventions in children's health and vision care.

Myopia and sleep in children-a systematic review.

Worldwide, approximately one in three people are myopic or short-sighted. Myopia in children is of particular concern as younger onset age implies a higher risk of progression, and consequently greater risk of developing vision-threatening complications. The importance of sleep in children's health has long been acknowledged, but evidence for its role in childhood myopia is fairly new and mixed results were presented across studies. To facilitate better understanding of this relationship, a broad literature search, up to and including October 31, 2022, was performed using three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus). Seventeen studies were included in the review, covering four main aspects of sleep, namely duration, quality, timing, and efficiency, and their associations with myopia in children. The present literature review discussed these studies, revealed potential limitations in their methodologies, and identified gaps that need to be addressed in the future. The review also acknowledges that current evidence is insufficient, and the role of sleep in childhood myopia is far from being fully understood. Future studies that primarily, objectively, and accurately assess sleep and myopia, taking other characteristics of sleep beyond duration into consideration, with a more diverse sample in terms of age, ethnicity, and cultural/environmental background, and control for confounders such as light exposure and education load are much needed. Although more research is required, myopia management should be a holistic approach and the inclusion of sleep hygiene in myopia education targeting children and parents ought to be encouraged.

Exploring the relationship between intestinal flora and the pathological mechanism of myopia in adolescents from the perspective of Chinese and Western medicine: A review.

The etiology of adolescent myopia involves genetic and environmental factors. The pathological mechanism of modern medicine includes blood perfusion, changes in blood molecules, neurotransmitters, and sclera remodeling. Chinese medicine believes that myopia is mainly related to the deficiency of liver blood and spleen and stomach disorders. The prevention and treatment of myopia in adolescents are very important, but in terms of the current incidence of myopia in adolescents and the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment, its prevention and treatment are insufficient. Modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine both pay attention to integrity, so adolescent myopia should not only pay attention to eye changes but also pay attention to other body systems and other aspects of change. Intestinal flora has become a research hotspot in recent years, and it has been found that it is closely associated with multi-system and multi-type diseases. No studies have directly investigated the link between Intestinal flora and myopia in adolescents. Therefore, by summarizing the pathological mechanism of adolescent myopia and the connection between intestinal flora and the pathological mechanism of adolescent myopia, this paper analyzes the possible pathological mechanism of the influence of intestinal flora on adolescent myopia, providing a theoretical basis for future studies on the correlation between changes of intestinal flora and its metabolites and the incidence of adolescent myopia, which is of great significance for the study on the risk prediction of adolescent myopia.

Parallelism between hypovitaminosis D3 and recently detected myopia in children with amplified screen use in the COVID-19 era-A preliminary study.

Purpose: This introductory study aims to analyze the association of serum vitamin D3 levels with recently detected myopia in Indian children following home confinement post-COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Children aged 5-15 years who had not attended physical school in the past 1 year and visited the ophthalmology department with various ocular symptoms were divided into two groups: the myopic group with recently detected myopia and the non-myopic group with ocular ailments other than myopia. All children underwent basic ophthalmic evaluation and a general physical examination. Blood samples were collected for serum vitamin D3 levels. A pretested questionnaire inquiring about the duration of exposure to a digital screen, outdoor activities, and socioeconomic status was filled out for all children. Results: The mean serum vitamin D3 level in the myopic group was 28.17 ± 15.02 ng/dl in comparison to 45.36 ± 17.56 ng/dl in the non-myopic group (P value < 0.05). Linear regression of the data establishes that myopia is associated with hypovitaminosis D3 (OR- 13.12, 95% CI 2.90-50.32, a P value of 0.001). The correlation between spherical equivalent and vitamin D3 levels was significant (Pearson correlation value: 0.661). In the myopic group, 63.3% of children had screen use >6 hours against 43.3% of children in the non-myopic group. In the myopic group, 33.3% of the children had an outdoor activity duration of <2 hours against 6.6% of children in the non-myopic group. Conclusion: This study proposes hypovitaminosis D3 as a strong factor associated with the development of myopia in children. Although it is a preliminary study, it suggests that the trial for vitamin D3 supplementation in young children to delay or cease the development of myopia is warranted.

Fallopia Japonica and Prunella vulgaris inhibit myopia progression by suppressing AKT and NFκB mediated inflammatory reactions.

BACKGROUND: The increased global incidence of myopia requires the establishment of therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Fallopia Japonica (FJ) and Prunella vulgaris (PV) extract on myopia caused by monocular form deprivation (MFD). METHODS: We used human retinal pigment epithelial cell to study the molecular mechanisms on how FJ extract (FJE) and PV extract (PVE) lowering the inflammation of the eye. The effect of FJE and PVE in MFD induced hamster model and explore the role of inflammation cytokines in myopia. RESULTS: FJE + PVE reduced IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression in RPE cells. Furthermore, FJE and PVE inhibited inflammation by attenuating the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, we report two resveratrol + ursolic acid compounds from FJ and PV and their inhibitory activities against IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression levels in RPE cells treated with IL-6 and TNF-α. FJE, PVE, and FJE + PVE were applied to MFD hamsters and their axial length was measured after 21 days. The axial length showed statistically significant differences between phosphate-buffered saline- and FJE-, PVE-, and FJE + PVE-treated MFD eyes. FJE + PVE suppressed expressions of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. They also inhibited myopia-related transforming growth factor-beta (TGF)-ß1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and NF-κB expression while increasing type I collagen expression. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these results suggest that FJE + PVE may have a therapeutic effect on myopia and be used as a potential treatment option.

Thirty-five-year trend in the prevalence of refractive error in Austrian conscripts based on 1.5 million participants.

BACKGROUND: To quantify the current burden of myopia and hyperopia in Austrian young men and the time trend of myopia in the past 35 years by individual and social correlates. METHOD: We included data on all Austrian military conscripts from 1983 to 2017 (n=1 507 063) from six medical investigation stations. Young men provided data on education, weight and height for calculating body mass index, blood pressure and resting heart rate. Non-cycloplegic refractions were measured by an autorefractometer. Spherical equivalent was calculated by standard formula (sphere+cylinder/2, unit dioptres (D)). Myopic refractive error was defined as <-0.5 D). Hyperopic refractive error was defined as >0.5 D. RESULTS: The largest burden of refractive error in Austria is myopia, which rose from 13.8% to 24.4% over 35 years, with less than 5% hyperopic population. Over time, the prevalence of myopia was constantly lower yet increased more rapidly among those with low education levels (11.4%-21.7%) compared with those with higher education (24.5%-29.6%) in all medical investigation stations. We found consistent associations of some unfavourable health indicators (underweight: ORs 1.1-1.4, higher resting heart rate: all p trend <0.001) with higher myopia prevalence, which point towards lifestyle factors playing an important role in the development of myopia. CONCLUSION: Primary preventive measures are needed to curb the observed trend in myopia among Austrian young men. Future research should investigate the impact of modifiable factors on myopia development and progression, particularly lifestyle factors that are dramatically shifting.

Association of Total Zinc Intake with Myopia in U.S. Children and Adolescents.

SIGNIFICANCE: This present study advances our knowledge on the role of lifestyle factors in myopia (short-sightedness), specifically dietary factors. It has been suggested in previous studies that lower zinc status is associated with myopia; however, this article shows no relationship between dietary zinc intake and myopia in U.S. adolescents. PURPOSE: It has been suggested that low zinc levels may contribute to the development of myopia. The aim of the present study is to examine, for the first time in a Western population, the association of total dietary and supplement zinc intake with myopia. METHODS: A total of 1095 children/adolescents aged 12 to 19 years who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2008 were enrolled in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between total zinc intake and myopia after adjustment for potential confounders. In addition, the association between total zinc intake and spherical equivalent refractive error was examined in the myopia group through multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Among study participants, 30% were found to be myopic (≤-1.00 D). Although median total daily zinc intake was lower among myopes (10.8 [10.2] mg/d) than among nonmyopes (11.1 [10.8] mg/d), the difference was not statistically significant (P = .11). In multiple logistic regression analyses, zinc and copper intakes were not significantly associated with myopia after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, family income, recreational activity, copper intake, and daily energy intake (in kilocalories per day). In multiple linear regression, spherical equivalent refractive error was not associated with total zinc intake in the myopic group after adjustment for confounding factors (P = .13). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to previous Asian studies, total zinc intake is not associated with the presence of myopia in U.S. adolescents/children.

Evidence for an Association between Macular Degeneration and Thyroid Cancer in the Aged Population.

Direct evidence of whether thyroid cancer patients have a higher risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has yet to be investigated. Patients older than 50 years-old and newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer between 2000 and 2008 were identified from the national health insurance research database (NHIRD). We applied time-varying Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between thyroid cancer and AMD. The multivariable models included conventional cardiovascular risk factors, myopia, vitreous floaters, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and treatment modality of thyroid cancer. The analysis process was stratified by age, gender, and comorbidity. In this study, 5253 patients were included in a thyroid cancer cohort (men 24.5%; median age 59.1 years (53.7⁻67.4 years), and 21,012 matched controls were included in a non-thyroid cancer cohort. The AMD incidence was 40.7 per 10,000 person/year in the thyroid cancer cohort. The thyroid cancer cohort had a higher risk (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.38, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.09⁻1.75) of AMD than the non-thyroid cohort. Thyroid cancer patients had a higher risk of AMD, especially the male patients (aHR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.38⁻3.14) and the patients with comorbidities (aHR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.09⁻1.74). In conclusion, thyroid cancer patients older than 50 years-old have increased risk of AMD.

Chinese Eye Exercises and Myopia Development in School Age Children: A Nested Case-control Study.

Chinese eye exercises have been implemented in China as an intervention for controlling children's myopia for over 50 years. This nested case-control study investigated Chinese eye exercises and their association with myopia development in junior middle school children. Outcome measures were the onset and progression of myopia over a two-year period. Cases were defined as 1. Myopia onset (cycloplegic spherical equivalent ≤ -0.5 diopter in non-myopic children). 2. Myopia progression (myopia shift of ≥1.0 diopter in those who were myopic at baseline). Two independent investigators assessed the quality of Chinese eye exercises performance at the end of the follow-up period. Of 260 children at baseline (mean age was 12.7 ± 0.5 years), 201 were eligible for this study. There was no association between eye exercises and the risk of myopia-onset (OR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.24-2.21), nor myopia progression (OR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.41-1.53). The group who performed high quality exercises had a slightly lower myopia progression of 0.15 D than the children who did not perform the exercise over a period of 2 years. However, the limited sample size, low dosage and performance quality of Chinese eye exercises in children did not result in statistical significance and require further studies.

The effect of low-concentration atropine combined with auricular acupoint stimulation in myopia control.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of myopia control between patients treated with low-concentration atropine eye drops combined with auricular acupoint stimulation and those treated with atropine alone. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial in a regional teaching hospital. INTERVENTIONS: The patients received either topical 0.125% atropine nightly plus auricular acupoint stimulation (0.125A + ACU group) or topical 0.125% atropine alone nightly (0.125A group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes in spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and intraocular pressure (IOP) per year were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Seventy-three of 110 total patients (66.4%) completed at least 6 months of follow-up. Patients in the 0.125A + ACU group had less myopic progression and AL elongation (-0.41 diopter and 0.24 mm/year) than those in the 0.125A group (-0.66 diopter and 0.32 mm/year) (mean follow-up 14.7 months, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02, respectively). The ACD increased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (0.076 mm vs. 0.023 mm/year, p = 0.0004). IOP decreased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (-1.01 mmHg vs. -0.13 mmHg/year, p = 0.007). A decrease of 1 mmHg of IOP correlated with a decrease of myopic progression of 0.021 diopter/year (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with 0.125% atropine eye drops plus auricular acupoint stimulation had less myopic progression, less axial length elongation, more anterior chamber deepening, and greater IOP reductions than those treated with 0.125% atropine alone. Auricular acupoint stimulation in combination with low-concentration topical atropine was beneficial for myopia control.

Prescription of atropine eye drops among children diagnosed with myopia in Taiwan from 2000 to 2007: a nationwide study.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the atropine eye drop prescription trend for children diagnosed with myopia, and to determine the factors associated with the prescription of atropine eye drops. DESIGN: This was a population-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was conducted using a national representative sample from the National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data. All school children between 4 and 18 years of age who had visited an ophthalmologist and were diagnosed with myopia between 2000 and 2007 were included herein. The main outcome measure was the proportion of subjects who were prescribed atropine eye drops in each year. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with atropine eye drops being prescribed. RESULTS: The prescription of atropine eye drops for children diagnosed with myopia increased significantly from the school years 2000 (36.9%) to 2007 (49.5%). There was also a shift from prescribing high concentrations (0.5 and 1%) of atropine eye drops to lower concentration ones (0.3, 0.25, and 0.1%) within this period. Atropine eye drops were more frequently prescribed to 9-12-year-old children (OR=1.26-1.42, compared with those 7-8 years old), and to children from families with a high socioeconomic status (OR=1.19-1.25); however, they were less prescribed to those living in mid to low urbanized areas (OR=0.65-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed an increasing trend of atropine eye drop prescription for children with myopia in Taiwan. Our study provides eye-care professionals worldwide a reference for the potential integration of atropine eye drops into their clinical practice toward children with myopia.

Self-reported myopia in Taiwan: 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of self-reported myopia nationwide in Taiwan and its association with degrees of urbanization and education levels. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey, a nationwide survey using multistage stratified systematic sampling. The presence of myopia, current residential areas, and education levels were ascertained by a structured questionnaire in participants ≥ 12 years of age. RESULTS: A total of 20,609 eligible persons were included in this study. The overall weighted prevalence of myopia in Taiwan was 46.7% (95% confidence interval: 45.9, 47.5%). The prevalence of myopia for persons aged 12-19, 20-39, 40-64, and ≥ 65 years was 70.3%, 65.4%, 30.4%, and 5.6%, respectively. Women had significantly higher rates of myopia than men for persons younger than 40 years of age (P<0.001). Myopia was significantly associated with both higher degrees of urbanization of current residential areas and higher education levels (both P<0.001). In young adult and adult groups, the effect of education levels on myopia was stronger than that of degrees of urbanization. CONCLUSION: The study provides a nation-wide prevalence data on myopia in Taiwan. Both degrees of urbanization and education levels are risk factors for myopia.

[The rate of development of myopia during hyperbaric oxygen therapy].

BACKGROUND: Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) is a common treatment both for emergency medicine as well as for chronic treatments. One of the most common indications for treatment is a non-healing wound due to diabetes. It is known that prolonged HBO treatments cause a myopic change in refraction. From the literature we know that the myopic shift is usually temporary, reversing back to basic refraction within a few weeks of cessation of the HBO course. There is controversy in the literature regarding the cause of refraction change, but research with animals reinforces the view that the source is the lens nucleus. PURPOSE: To measure the refractive change following 30 HBO treatments, and to quantify the rate of change. METHODS: A prospective study that included 44 eyes of diabetic patients treated with HBO in Rambam and Elisha Hyperbaric Center. Follow-up examinations were carried out every 10 treatments for spherical equivalents, sphere components, cylinder powers and axes (SPHER, SE, CYLINDER and AXIS respectively). The measurement device was an autorefractometer. A single examiner performed all the measurements; the examiner was blinded to the previous results. For each parameter, a regression equation was calculated after plotting the myopic change over time. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A positive correlation was found between HBO treatments and a myopic shift in the refraction. The correlation was statistically significant for: SPHER, SE. (0.58D, 0.61D) respectively. The change accrued from the first examination and remained throughout the follow-ups at a steady rate. Both eyes behaved similarly. The authors did not find a correlation between the myopic shift and gender, age or basic refraction. This information is vital both to clinicians, to understand the physiologic changes occurring during chronic HBO treatments, and especially to our patients, who are about to receive HBO treatments.

Male sex as a risk factor for pseudophakic retinal detachment after cataract extraction in Taiwanese adults.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of sex in modifying risk factors for retinal detachment (RD) after cataract surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study based on medical records and insurance claims from Taiwan's Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI). PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand three hundred eighty-eight patients who underwent extracapsular cataract extraction (CE), including phacoemulsification procedures, between August 1999 and December 2001. METHODS: Medical charts and claims submitted by insurance beneficiaries who underwent CE and intraocular lens implantation were collected from the sixth branch of the BNHI. Data recorded for analysis included each patient's demographic characteristics, medical history, refractive status, axial length (AL), type of CE, and intraoperative complications. Posterior capsulotomy, diagnostic procedures, and treatments for retinal complications and other ocular diseases were identified on the basis of codes from physicians' billing records at the end of 2005. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of RD in the full study group and in subgroups defined by sex, age, AL, type of CE procedure, concurrent systemic diseases, presence of intraoperative complications, and subsequent posterior capsulotomy. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time of patients at the time of analysis was 54.99+/-15.53 months. The rate of lost follow-up was 11.55%. Cumulative 6-year RD rates were 1.16% in the full study group, 1.90% in the male subgroup, and 0.56% in the female subgroup at the end of the follow-up period. Gender distribution had a significant influence on the occurrence of RD after CE (P<0.001). Factors that were found to have a significant effect on the risk of pseudophakic RD included age under 50 years (P = 0.002), AL (P<0.001), and history of RD (P = 0.003). Surgical types (extracapsular vs. phacoemulsification) were not correlated significantly with RD, and neither were such systemic diseases as diabetes and hypertension. Subgroup analysis indicated that the significance of age, AL, and history of RD as risk factors persisted in the male subgroup but not in the female subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of axial myopia, age, and RD history as risk factors for pseudophakic RD was seen predominantly in males.

Axial myopia is an extremely significant risk factor for young-aged pseudophakic retinal detachment in taiwan.

PURPOSE: To investigate the possible risk factors of retinal detachment (RD) after cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation in a geographic defined racially uniform population. METHODS: Submitted claim records and charts of 9398 insurance beneficiaries who underwent cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation between August 1999 and December 2001 were consecutively collected from the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI). At the end of 2003, any ophthalmologic diagnosis and related treatment based on procedure and diagnosis codes listed in physician bills were evaluated. RESULTS: The cumulative risk of RD in our study group was 0.76% at the end of follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 36.92 +/- 8.89 months. Sex distribution had no significant effect on the occurrence of RD after cataract extraction, whereas age distribution showed significant influence on the risk of RD after cataract surgery (P = 0.0307), as did the history of RD (P < 0.0001) and Nd-YAG laser posterior capsulotomy (P = 0.0001). Axial length also had a significant effect on the risk of RD after cataract extraction (P < 0.0001). The longer the axial length, the more impact on the risk of RD carried by young age. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that axial myopia is an extremely significant risk factor for young-aged pseudophakic RD in Taiwan.

[To the treatment of progressive myopia in children].

The paper deals with a new treatment technology for childhood progressive myopia concurrent with chronic diseases. The technology of vision preservation in children of a general educational establishment includes complex phytotherapeutic exposure and infrasound pneumomassage of eyeball tissues. Infrasound ocular pneumomassage at a pressure of 0.1 atm, with a frequency of 4 Hz, and an infrasound power of 170 dB improves muscle accommodation function, blood circulation and lowers intraocular pressure. The developed complex technology contributes to a reduction in the incidence of exacerbations of chronic diseases and exerts a beneficial effect on the course of myopia in children.

The relationship between glaucoma and myopia: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the relationship between myopia and open-angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension (OH), and intraocular pressure (IOP) in a representative older population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based study of 3654 Australians 49 to 97 years of age. METHODS: Subjects with any myopia (> or =-1.0 diopter [D]) were identified by a standardized subjective refraction and categorized into low myopia (> or =-1.0 D to <-3.0 D) or moderate-to-high myopia (> or =-3.0 D). Glaucoma was diagnosed from characteristic visual field loss, combined with optic disc cupping and rim thinning, without reference to IOP. Ocular hypertension was diagnosed when applanation IOP was greater than 21 mmHg in either eye in the absence of glaucomatous visual field and optic disc changes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: General estimating equation models were used to assess associations between eyes with myopia and either glaucoma or OH. RESULTS: Glaucoma was present in 4.2% of eyes with low myopia and 4.4% of eyes with moderate-to-high myopia compared to 1.5% of eyes without myopia. The relationship between glaucoma and myopia was maintained after adjusting for known glaucoma risk factors, odds ratio (OR) of 2.3, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.3 to 4.1 for low myopia. It was stronger for eyes with moderate-to-high myopia (OR, 3.3; CI, 1.7-6.4). Only a borderline relationship was found with OH, OR of 1.8 (CI, 1.2-2.9) for low myopia, and OR of 0.9 (CI, 0.4-2.0) for moderate-to-high myopia. Mean IOP was approximately 0.5 mmHg higher in myopic eyes compared to nonmyopic eyes. CONCLUSIONS: This study has confirmed a strong relationship between myopia and glaucoma. Myopic subjects had a twofold to threefold increased risk of glaucoma compared with that of nonmyopic subjects. The risk was independent of other glaucoma risk factors and IOP.

Myopia, intelligence, and the expanding human neocortex: behavioral influences and evolutionary implications.

The first two parts of this monograph document that areas of the human neocortex heavily used to cope with a complex, language-driven society have been expanding rapidly and suggest strongly that this is linked with the huge upsurge that's occurred in myopia, and with the large gradual 20th-century increase in measured intelligence. Part III proposes mechanisms capable of supporting such rapid changes, without violating the basic precepts of Darwin's thinking. Part IV discusses the social and evolutionary ramifications of our apparent proclivity for rapid, progressive, adaptive neocortical change, and suggests areas for productive research.