Epidemiology of Myopia

Myopia is a major health problem throughout the world due to its increasingly high prevalence in the past few decades. Myopia, in particular high myopia, is directly or indirectly associated with a number of ocular complications such as glaucoma and cataract that are potentially blinding. Myopic retinopathy, a major cause of visual impairment and blindness, affects 1–3 % of the general populations in some countries. Increased amount of near-work activities and decreased time spent outdoors are the two most important modifiable risk factors related to myopia onset and progression, though the exact role of how these two risk factors impact on myopia remains to be determined. Efforts should be made to discover treatments to slow or stop progression of myopia to prevent further progression to high myopia and pathologic myopia. Further research on the understanding of the natural history of pathologic myopia and more effective treatment for pathologic myopia is of also of public health importance.