Earlier this year, the optical world received the great news that genetic discoveries had been made concerning possible causes of short-sightedness or myopia. With scientists finally identifying as many as 24 genes which have the potential to cause this particular eye disorder, people afflicted with short-sightedness can now hope for better treatment in the future.
This discovery was made by an international team of scientists led by King's College London. These findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, reveal genetic causes of the trait, which could lead to finding better treatments or ways of preventing the condition in the future.
Short-sightedness is a very common eye condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred, while close objects can be seen clearly. Myopia is the medical term for short-sightedness.
Chris Hammond, professor of genetic epidemiology at the King's College London, who led the study, said: "We already knew that myopia or short-sightedness tends to run in families. But until now, we knew little about the genetic causes."
The researchers, who all belonged to the Consortium for Refraction and Myopia (CREAM), collected data from over 45,000 people across 32 different studies. They analysed their genetic and refractive error data to identify any genes responsible for the disorder. They identified a total of 24 new genes linked to myopia and confirmed two previously reported genes. The genes they found were responsible for eye development, eye tissue signalling and the structure of the eye. They were associated with a high risk of myopia, potentially increasing a person's risk tenfold.
The eye experts said a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors significantly increases the likelihood of developing myopia. Environmental factors include reading, limited outdoor exposure, a higher level of education, and living in urban areas. However, how these factors actually cause the disorder remains a mystery. Further investigation by the consortium is necessary to fully understand these links.
"This study reveals for the first time a group of new genes that are associated with myopia and that carriers of some of these genes have a 10-fold increased risk of developing the condition," adds Hammond, the journal Nature Genetics reports.
Speaking on the issue, an optometrist who has been practising for the past 18 years and currently the secretary of the Optometrist Association of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Dr Chara Adekunle, says being short-sighted is fairly common and can even be inherited. "If you have parents that are short-sighted, then there is a likely chance of you also being shortsighted".
Scientist all over the world concur that myopia is heritable, however, little was known about the genetics behind it until now. With the discovery of these genes, scientists believe this is very promising and could finally be the basis for future treatment of the disorder.
Short-sightedness is an ailment that can affect both the young and the old. In young children it can be detected as early as three years. Dr Adekunle said it affects people of all ages but the problem in developing countries like Nigeria is that it is not diagnosed on time because people do not visit their eye clinic as often as they should.
Early diagnosis of near-sightedness is important, because a child can suffer socially and educationally by not being able to see well at a distance. Dr Adekunle emphasised the need for parents to take the eye health of their children seriously. "A child can start failing in school and no one will be able to understand exactly the problem. This can be a traumatic experience for that child. And it might just be that the child is not seeing the blackboard properly in school. This is why it is important you take your child to do a comprehensive eye check early, especially if either the parents are already shortsighted. There is a likelihood that one of your children would have inherited it," she counselled.
There are several treatment options available for individuals suffering from myopia. They include Glasses which is the most common and simplest treatment. Contact lenses also provide similar results as glasses and they are meant for mature people who can keep them clean always. Surgery is another option that is gaining popularity in recent years. There are presently different types of surgical operations designed to treat short-sightedness. The most popular is the LASIK or laser-assisted surgery. However, this kind of surgery has not been fully integrated in the country but it is gaining popularity in developed countries.
Dr Adekunle explained that there are no drugs that can cure short-sightedness. "There is no way to prevent near-sightedness for now, but with this new discovery, I believe that there is hope for that in future. For now, short-sightedness is something a person lives with and manages for life. The only cure is for you to go and see your eye doctor often for examination and correct prescription of glasses suitable for the kind of myopia you have," said the medical expert.
National Mirror