Chen-Wei Pan1, Deng-Juan Qian1, Seang-Mei Saw2. 1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. 2. Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore. seang_mei_saw@nuhs.edu.sg and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Myopia is a major public health concern throughout the world and the prevalence has been increasing rapidly in recent years, especially in urban Asia. The "vitamin D hypothesis" has been raised recently because vitamin D may be a link between less time outdoors and increased risk of myopia. METHODS: We reviewed all studies published in English which examined the association of time outdoors and blood vitamin D status with myopia. RESULTS: The protective effect of time spent outdoors on the risk of myopia onset has been well-established with numerous observational studies and three trials published. Five studies reporting the association between the blood vitamin D status and the risk of myopia and two studies examining the variations in the vitamin D receptor as potential risk factors for myopia development were identified. Most of the current evidence was cross-sectional in nature and had not properly controlled important confounders in its analyses. The evidence supporting that vitamin D played a role in myopia development is weak and the mechanisms are unclear. CONCLUSIONS: At the current stage, it is still unclear whether blood vitamin D status regulates the onset or progression of myopia. Blood vitamin D status may only serve as a biomarker of outdoor exposure, which is the real protective factor for myopia.
BACKGROUND:Myopia is a major public health concern throughout the world and the prevalence has been increasing rapidly in recent years, especially in urban Asia. The "vitamin D hypothesis" has been raised recently because vitamin D may be a link between less time outdoors and increased risk of myopia. METHODS: We reviewed all studies published in English which examined the association of time outdoors and blood vitamin D status with myopia. RESULTS: The protective effect of time spent outdoors on the risk of myopia onset has been well-established with numerous observational studies and three trials published. Five studies reporting the association between the blood vitamin D status and the risk of myopia and two studies examining the variations in the vitamin D receptor as potential risk factors for myopia development were identified. Most of the current evidence was cross-sectional in nature and had not properly controlled important confounders in its analyses. The evidence supporting that vitamin D played a role in myopia development is weak and the mechanisms are unclear. CONCLUSIONS: At the current stage, it is still unclear whether blood vitamin D status regulates the onset or progression of myopia. Blood vitamin D status may only serve as a biomarker of outdoor exposure, which is the real protective factor for myopia.
Authors: Gareth Lingham; Seyhan Yazar; Robyn M Lucas; John P Walsh; Kun Zhu; Michael Hunter; Ee Mun Lim; Brian R Cooke; David A Mackey Journal: Transl Vis Sci Technol Date: 2019-01-22 Impact factor: 3.283