Expect to See a Lot More Myopia in Coming Years

The rate is rising fast, AOA says.

About half of the world’s population could be affected by myopia by 2050, the American Optometric Association reports.

And about a fifth of those people will be at a significantly increased risk of blindness, the organization says, citing data from the World Health Organization.

AOA also explains that uncorrected refractive error, often caused by myopia, currently affects well over 100 million people around the world, creating a financial burden of more than $202 billion per year in terms of lost productivity. The figures come from research published recently in the Journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

It’s not known exactly why the incidence of myopia is growing so markedly, AOA reports.

But the organization notes: “Given the profession’s depth of knowledge and expertise, optometry is well-positioned on the forefront of myopia control, and the AOA and its members are intimately involved in initiatives to curb avoidable vision loss.”

Read more at AOA