Sergio Recalde Maestre

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found mainly in fish oils, may help prevent the development of myopia in children, while high consumption of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil and red meat, may increase the risk of developing this condition, according to research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The study was conducted on a thousand children in Hong Kong aged between six and eight.

A meta-analysis that included 45 studies involving more than 330,000 people has analysed the association between the time spent exposed to digital screens and the risk of developing myopia. The results of the study, published in JAMA Network Open, show that the risk of myopia increased significantly by just over 20% for every hour of daily use after the first hour.

Using genetic data from more than 340,000 participants of European descent, research has identified five genetic variants that make people more susceptible to myopia in combination with intensive schooling, especially university studies. The results are published in PLOS Genetics.