Sunday Times 2
Wear glasses? Then you’re probably smart
For years, people with glasses have been stereotyped as being a ‘nerd’ or a ‘geek’.
But scientists have always believed that genes, rather than education, were more important in determining poor vision.
Now a study provides scientific backing to suggest that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to suffer from myopia, also known as nearsightedness.
Nearsighted people, such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, have blurred vision beyond 6.6ft (2 metres). It is usually caused by an elongation of the eyeball when people are young (AFP)
The authors claim they have conducted the first population-based study to demonstrate that environmental factors may outweigh genetics in the development of poor vision.
While common, short-sightedness or ‘myopia’ has become even more prevalent around the world in recent years.
In the US, it affects more than 40 per cent of the population. In the UK, the figure is between 20 and 30 per cent.
Meanwhile, developed Asian countries have reported increasing myopia rates of up to 80 per cent, and the rapid growth rate, scientists say, suggests that environmental factors play a significant role.
To try and find a link between intelligence and visions, researchers at the University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany examined nearsightedness in 4,658 Germans ages 35 to 74.
Results of their work, known as the Gutenberg Health Study, show that myopia became more prevalent as a person’s education improved.
For instance, 24 per cent of participants with no secondary school education or other training were nearsighted.
Around 35 per cent of secondary school graduates and vocational school graduates were nearsighted, while the figure for university graduates was over half at 53 per cent.
The researchers also looked at the effect of 45 genetic markers, but found it a much weaker factor in the degree of nearsightedness compared to education level.
Eye experts claim you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 6.6ft (2 metres). It is usually caused by an elongation of the eyeball when people are young.
The antidote to the rise in myopia could be as simple as going outside more often.
In the last several years, studies of children and young adults in Denmark and Asia show that more time outdoors and exposure to daylight is associated with less nearsightedness.
‘Since students appear to be at a higher risk of nearsightedness, it makes sense to encourage them to spend more time outdoors as a precaution,’ said Alireza Mirshahi, lead author of the study.
© Daily Mail, London