US Edition
Myopia May Be Driven by Prolonged Close-up Focus in Low-Light Environments
Researchers propose myopia is driven by reduced retinal light from prolonged close-up focus in dim indoor lighting, affecting nearly 50% of young adults in the US and Europe, study says.
- Tuesday's Cell Reports paper from SUNY suggests myopia links to prolonged close-up focus in low light and proposes a unifying neuronal mechanism tying near work, dim lighting, and treatments.
- The paper notes myopia now affects nearly 50% of young adults in the U.S. and Europe and 90% in parts of East Asia, suggesting environmental factors play a role.
- Sustained accommodation intensifies pupil constriction, reducing retinal illumination as negative lenses and shorter viewing distances increase this effect, linking to myopia in animal models.
- The authors suggest clinicians and myopia-control treatments limit accommodative constriction using multifocal lenses, contrast-reduction lenses, atropine drops, and time outdoors, but warn these fail if eyes endure prolonged indoor accommodation in low light.
- Alonso said, `This is not a final answer. But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting, and eye focusing interact`, challenging the screen-time narrative with a physiological light starvation mechanism.
25 Articles
25 Articles
A study by New York State University suggests that the increase in diagnostics is not only due to the excessive use of screens. Light intensity in indoor spaces plays a key role
The abuse of screens has been pointed out in recent years as one of the main causes that explain why the cases of myopia do not stop growing. The epidemic of...
Dim, indoor lifestyles helping to drive myopia, say researchers
Pupils constrict when viewing close objects like phones when indoors. Image: stock/adobe.com.New research from the United States is suggesting that prolonged close-up focus in low-light environments is one factor driving the rise in myopia. The eye disease is thought to be the result of too much screen time, especially among children and young adults. But scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry in New York have discovered that indoor lifesty…
A research published in Cell Report links myopia to the habit of living or working in very dim environments. Experts from Suny’s Optometry School in New York, United States, consider that this custom could stress the eyes by limiting the amount of light that reaches the retina. According to work leader José Manuel Alonso, “our finding suggests that an underlying factor in myopia could be the volume of light received while focusing closely for a …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
