Mysteries of myopia may soon become clear
Huge pool of genetic data could hold answer to what causes short-sightedness and why it affects 80pc of Asians and 30pc of Westerners
Two professors are hoping to discover why Asians are nearly three times more likely to be short-sighted than Westerners.
They are taking part in a global study which has revealed that both groups share similar myopic-related genes. And they say the data will lead towards the development of genetic tests for short-sightedness, clinically known as myopia.
It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of Asians are myopic, compared with just 30 per cent of Western populations.
"The genes are giving us an insight into how myopia is developed," said Dr Jeremy Guggenheim, an associate professor at Polytechnic University's school of optometry.
Many previous studies have revealed the link between environmental factors and short-sightedness, but research into its genetic causes is just beginning.
The latest study saw 64 universities and research institutes in 13 countries collect data from more than 37,000 people of European ancestry and 8,300 of Asian ancestry. Some 600,000 DNA markers in each person were looked at.