The systematic review and meta-analysis study included data from 145 studies.
Here are four insights:
1. Researchers estimate says myopia will affect 55.1 percent of the Australasian population by 2050, up from 19.7 percent in 2000, if current trends continue.
2. Nearly 5 billion people, or 49.8 percent of the world’s population, will be short-sighted by 2050, and up to one-fifth of them will be at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends continue.
3. The number with vision loss from high myopia is expected to increase seven-fold from 2000 to 2050, with myopia to become a leading cause of permanent blindness worldwide.
4. The rapid increase of myopia and high myopia is widely considered largely driven by people spending less time outdoors and more time on “near based activities” including using electronic devices.
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