“Genetic Factors for Myopia Identified” – Nature Genetics

* Genetic study from Mainz University Medical Center has identified 161 genetic factors for myopia

* Working with the gene test provider, 23andme, researchers evaluated data from 250,000 people from Europe, Asia, and North America

* One discovery was that all retinal cell types contribute to the development of myopia. The paper shed light on the relationship between environmental and genetic factors

* They discovered that there was an underlying biological mechanism that lead to myopia and support the case that education-related behaviour is a major environmental cause.

* Myopia has spread worldwide because education levels are rising and people are performing more close-up tasks in poor levels of day light.