Preventing Macular Degeneration: A New Theory

Pioneering Eye Surgeon Sees Hope for Treating Macular Degeneration with Natural Hormones

LIFE EXTENSION MAGAZINE

December 2008

By Debora Yost

Plant caroteinoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin were long ago shown to help prevent macular degeneration. But is there more that can be done to protect against this epidemic of blindness? George W. Rozakis, MD is a Cornell-trained biomedical engineer specializing in laser eye surgery and lens implants. A pioneer in the field of LASIK surgery,1 Dr. Rozakis is now vigorously involved in anti-aging medical research. Dr. Rozakis is focusing on a potential breakthrough in treating macular degeneration, a condition that gradually destroys central vision. Also called age-related macular degeneration, it is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 65 and older. Dr. Rozakis believes that restoring the correct balance of natural hormones that decline with age can retard and possibly even reverse the progression of macular degeneration. To investigate this hypothesis, he is setting up a long-term study and is currently seeking subjects to participate in the trial. Hormones and Your Vision The hormonal link with macular degeneration began to evolve when Dr. Rozakis met another medical pioneer, Sergey A. Dzugan, MD, PhD, during a conference in Chicago four years ago. Dr. Dzugan is a cardiovascular surgeon and internationally known expert in anti-aging and hormonal medicine. “Dr. Dzugan has done numerous studies2-4 and written numerous articles on the association between low hormone levels and multiple disease states, including the problem of atherosclerosis and cholesterol elevation,” says Dr. Rozakis. “As an ophthalmologist I was impressed by the evidence that restoring and optimizing levels of key hormones improve brain function, largely because the retina is part of the brain. For example, there is very impressive literature that testosterone slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.5 Pregnenolone is extremely important for the brain and nervous system, as are progesterone and estrogens. Women whose progesterone levels drop develop negative personality changes.6 In animal models, pregnenolone and DHEA have been shown to profoundly stimulate the healing of neurologic injury.7-9 Women who enter into menopause at a young age develop macular degeneration, presumably because of the absence of estrogens.10,11 Blocking estrogens with the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen is harmful to the retina.12 This leads us to wonder if optimal hormonal health also positively impacts ocular health.” “When an article appeared in the American Journal of Ophthalmology indicating that DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is exceptionally low in macular degeneration patients,13 I was shocked and excited,” says Dr. Rozakis. This finding provided a major clue that hormonal imbalance was part of the problem of macular degeneration. “DHEA is like the Grand Central Station of hormone chemistry,” says Dr. Rozakis. “When DHEA levels drop, it strongly implies that levels of other hormones such as pregnenolone, estrogens, and testosterone are out of balance or suboptimal.” All of these hormones make the body thrive—they give us virility, fertility, and help us act and react quicker. Since the retina contains hormone receptors, hormones must be part of the biophysiology of vision itself. An eye affected by wet age-related macular degeneration. Details of the back of the retina are shown at upper right. At left are the photoreceptors (red and brown) with the blood vessels that supply the eye behind them in the choroid layer. In wet, or neovascular, macular degeneration, weakened blood vessel formation in the back of the eye can lead to bleeding, which prevents light from reaching the back of the eye. This causes a central spot in the vision as well as distortion, and often leads to blindness. THE ANATOMY OF MACULAR DEGENERATION Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration, is characterized by loss of the sharp, central vision you need to read, drive a car, or watch a movie. Peripheral vision—sight out of the corner of the eye—is not affected. The macula is located near the center of the retina. The retina, a thin layer of cells that resides in the back of the eyeball, contains millions of photoreceptors that capture light and sends signals via the optic nerve to the brain where they are converted into the images that you perceive. Age-related macular degeneration occurs when drusen, tiny yellow particles that consist largely of cholesterol, begin to accumulate behind the eye and damage the photoreceptors, causing degradation of vision. This is known as dry macular degeneration and is the most common form of the disease. Though the disease usually progresses slowly, there is no known cure. Approximately 10% of people with age-related macular degeneration have the wet form of the condition. It is characterized by the growth of abnormal retinal blood vessels that leak, which can cause rapid and irreversible loss of vision. Dry macular degeneration does not always lead to wet macular degeneration, but wet macular degeneration starts off as the dry form. According to the National Eye Institute, risk factors include smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, and overweight or obesity. Cardiovascular Link Low DHEA levels in macular degeneration could also explain its association with heart disease, as it is known that macular degeneration is an independent risk factor for stroke and coronary artery disease. In a study conducted by Australian scientists,14 macular degeneration predicted a five-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality and a 10-fold higher risk of stroke mortality. After controlling for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, age-related macular degeneration predicted a doubling of cardiovascular mortality. Since hormone deficiency has been linked with both heart disease and eye disorders,13,15 it is a prime suspect that links the heart to the eye. Further examination of the literature reveals a major review article from Italy that explains the importance of hormones to the retina.16 In this article, it is shown that the retina is able to attempt to make its own hormones, just like the brain. “The article also indicates that many of the hormones we use in anti-aging programs have a role in the retina, such as pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone, estrogens, and progesterone. Few ophthalmologists and optometrists are aware of this relationship. This was the smoking gun that led to our hypothesis,” Dr. Rozakis notes. Macular Degeneration and Cholesterol A good theory needs to connect all the dots. Dr. Rozakis explains that one challenge in shaping his theory was explaining the presence of “drusen” or spots that appear in the retina in patients with macular degeneration. Many consider these spots to be “degradation products.” Recently, Goldis Malek, PhD, and others17-19 found that cholesterol was present in those spots. This led some people to think that cholesterol-lowering agents, such as statins, might help macular degeneration—but they do not. In fact, there is concern that statins actually increase the risk of dry macular degeneration advancing to the neovascular form of the disease, whereby tiny blood vessels in the eye begin to bleed.20 Dr. Rozakis notes, “To Dr. Dzugan and me, the presence of cholesterol in the macula was the key piece of data that integrated everything. The presence of cholesterol in the macula suggests that the retina is trying to make hormones—but that it can’t. So, the body’s accumulation of cholesterol and drusen worsen.” He continues, “The macula can’t get the hormones it needs from the blood because there aren’t much there. As a result, if the macula is having trouble converting cholesterol into hormones, drusen form, and this results in the drusen we see in macular degeneration. Why the macula stops making hormones is unknown, but it is associated with aging. We can speculate that it happens because the enzymes which do the conversion decrease or are down-regulated with aging.” “This same ‘story’ of cholesterol and hormones plays itself out in the body as a whole,” says Dr. Rozakis. “We do know that the adrenal gland, which produces DHEA, loses the ability to manufacture hormones as we age. As Dr. Dzugan published, this hormonal decline stimulates the liver to produce more cholesterol in an attempt to create more hormones.3 This is why restoring hormones to their normal levels causes the liver to produce less cholesterol. That same paradigm may be happening in the macula. This is the basis of our hypothesis. The goal therefore must be to provide the retina the hormones it needs through supplementation.” WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: PREVENTING MACULAR DEGENERATION—A NEW THEORY Macular degeneration is the leading cause of age-related vision loss in adults aged 65 and older. The condition is characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol-containing lesions called drusen in the eye’s retina. Since hormones are known to benefit brain health, scientists wondered if they might likewise benefit the retina, which has an embryologic association with the brain. The macular requires hormones to function, and is able to make its own hormones. Recent studies have shown that individuals with macular degeneration tend to have low blood levels of the hormone dehydroepiandro-sterone (DHEA) as well as a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. These observations led Dr. George Rozakis and Dr. Sergey Dzugan to propose “The Hormonal Theory of Macular Degeneration.” This theory hypothesizes that low blood hormone levels cause the retinal macula to accumulate cholesterol in an attempt to produce its own hormones. The macula’s accumulation of cholesterol may lead to the production of pathological drusen and subsequent macular degeneration. Drs. Rozakis and Dzugan are conducting a clinical study to determine if restoring optimal hormone balance while providing nutrients that support eye health can prevent or reverse the progression of macular degeneration. If you would like to inquire about the study, please call Dr. Rozakis’ office at 440-777-2667. Reviewing the Evidence There is already evidence to support the notion that DHEA protects the eyes against oxidative damage21 and that the hormone pregnenolone improves electrical activity in the retina, as measured by the electroretinogram (ERG).22,23 There is also evidence to support the use of melatonin in the treatment of macular degeneration.24,25 The theory that optimizing hormones may help promote macular health is based on these scientific facts: The macula, which is located in the center of the retina, uses hormones to function.16 The normal macula has the unique ability to make its own hormones.26 The bloodstream of patients with macular degeneration is deficient in hormones.11,13 Drusen—the tiny yellow abnormalities that appear behind the macula in individuals with macular degeneration—contain cholesterol.17-19 Age-related macular degeneration is related to cardiovascular mortality.14 Dr. Rozakis speculates that the solution for treating macular degeneration is to measure and restore age-depleted hormones to optimal levels so that the macula can absorb the hormones it needs from the blood. “Hopefully restoring hormones to their normal levels in the bloodstream will cause the macula to stop absorbing cholesterol and, as a result, drusen formation will hopefully decline,” says Dr. Rozakis. “We certainly need a better understanding of the pathophysiology of this blinding disease.”27 ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR THE MACULAR DEGENERATION STUDY? Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular). Neovascular macular degeneration is characterized by the growth of new blood vessels in the macula where they are not supposed to be. The dry form is more common than the wet form, with about 85-90% of macular degeneration patients diagnosed with dry macular degeneration. The wet form of the disease usually leads to more serious vision loss. If you have been diagnosed with dry macular degeneration or have a family history of this disease, you may be a candidate for Dr. Rozakis’ study. The ideal participant is someone with the dry form of macular degeneration, which is characterized by the accumulation of drusen behind the retina, and who still has useful vision (20/80 vision or better, using corrective lenses as needed). Dr. Rozakis says, however, that there are exceptions to this rule. The study involves taking bioidentical hormones—meaning natural hormones such as progesterone, rather than synthetic hormones such as progestin—and a regimen of vitamins that have been found to be beneficial to slowing the progress of age-related macular degeneration. Blood work and a detailed baseline ophthalmology evaluation will be required. The data that will be generated will be compared with other data that already exist on the progression of the disease. The purpose of the study is to measure the progression of the disease. Progress will be measured against currently known standards and the average rate at which the dry form of the disease converts to the wet form. If the program is successful, there should be slower progression, or even reversal, of age-related macular degeneration, and less conversion from the dry to wet form of the disease. Dr. Dzugan will be assisting in this clinical study. Individuals who would like to inquire about the study should call Dr. Rozakis’ office at 440-777-2667. A Higher Level of Natural Treatment Dr. Rozakis sees hormone restoration as a strategy to improve on existing studies showing that certain nutrients can reduce the progression of age-related macular degeneration. The long-term Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), conducted by the National Eye Institute, found that supplementing the anti-oxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the mineral zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced states of macular degeneration in more than 4,700 high-risk patients aged 55 to 80 who were enrolled in the study.28 The specific amounts of nutrients used by the study researchers were: 500 mg of vitamin C 400 IU of vitamin E 15 mg of beta-carotene 80 mg of zinc 2 mg of copper. The copper, administered as cupric oxide, was included in the formula to prevent copper-deficiency anemia, which is associated with high zinc intake. As a result of the AREDS trial, many ophthalmologists are recommending supplements containing the study’s recommended dosages for patients with or at a high risk for age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Rozakis is currently developing his own study to test his theory concerning the relationship between low levels of DHEA and macular degeneration. “Our study is going to focus on overall hormonal balance and will include the supplements used in the AREDS study as well,” says Dr. Rozakis. “Our goal is to do everything we can to stop macular degeneration. The fact that hormones are much more powerful than vitamins holds hope that the results will be significant.” If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please contact a Life Extension Health Advisor at 1-800-226-2370. Article review by Richard P. Kratz, MD, DSci Life Extension Scientific Advisory Board Member Tragically, the leading cause of age-related visual loss is macular degeneration which remains largely untreatable. By the age of 65, nearly one-third of adults or 20-25 million Americans will have experienced some decrease in their ability to read, drive, or see fine details. At present, the cause of age-related macular degeneration is unknown. The disorder is characterized by the development of small yellow spots in the retina called drusen. Theories to explain the occurrence of drusen include accumulation of cellular waste products, age-related reduction of blood flow, inflammation, nutrient deficiency, cigarette smoking, and high fat intake. New strategies for the prevention and management of macular degeneration are sorely needed. The past decade has seen an explosion of interest in managing wellness by restoring hormones. Unfortunately, progress in this arena has been complicated by the use of non-bioidentical, pharmaceutical hormones such as Premarin® (horse urine estrogen). The scientific literature contains many studies examining the use of single hormones, which further confuses the issues at hand. Studies that focus on the balance of all hormones are greatly needed. For example, a study to determine the value of estrogen therapy alone in managing a particular disorder is insufficient, as an estrogen deficiency must be looked at in the context of progesterone levels and other adjacent hormones in the biological hormonal cascades. Today, innovative clinicians are increasingly using bioidentical hormones in their practice. These are true hormones that are identical to those naturally produced by the body, which often become depleted due to the aging process. Examples of these bioidentical hormones include pregnenolone, dehydroepiandro-sterone (DHEA), estriol, estradiol, estrone, progesterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and cortisol. George W. Rozakis, MD, has been a student of hormonal medicine for a number of years, thanks to his association with Sergey A. Dzugan, MD, PhD, one of the leading experts in hormonal medicine. Dr. Rozakis has proposed a new theory for one of the leading causes of blindness, which he titles “The Hormonal Theory of Macular Degeneration.” The prime mover for this idea is the embryologic association between the retina and the brain. Since hormones are known to benefit the brain, Dr. Rozakis theorizes whether hormones also benefit the macula. When recent scientific literature showed that blood DHEA levels are low in patients with macular degeneration, that the macula can make its own hormones, and that cholesterol is present in the pathological lesions known as drusen, the stage was set for Dr. Rozakis’ theory. LEADING THE FIELD OF VISION-SAVING TECHNOLOGY When it comes to eye health and vision-saving technology, Dr Rozakis is at the forefront as a visionary, an inventor, and a pioneer. In 1989, he was one of the first surgeons in the world to perform LASIK refractive eye surgery, and he went on to advance the technique by developing and refining his own patented laser system incorporating LASIK surgery.1 Now used worldwide, the technique is often called a modern medical miracle that eliminates the need for eyeglasses. Seeing that LASIK is not the solution for all refractive lens problems, the 53-year-old graduate of Cornell Medical College and the Duke Eye Center has now pioneered next-generation technology that will likely make LASIK obsolete: a very thin lens that can be permanently implanted into the eye and which, unlike LASIK, can be reversed. Dr. Rozakis postulates that cholesterol-containing drusen are the retina’s failed last-ditch attempt to make needed hormones, including DHEA, from cholesterol. Such a failed attempt leads to the findings we see in the retina, namely the small yellow spots called drusen. If Dr. Rozakis is correct, restoring normal hormone levels should help to prevent macular degeneration and might even improve early-stage macular degeneration. This is a novel idea, which he intends to test in clinical trials. His theory is in keeping with the modern trend of measuring hormone levels and then administering hormone replacement to re-establish hormonal balance and restore health. Careful clinical trials will be required to evaluate Dr. Rozakis’ hormonal theory of macular degeneration.

References

1. Available at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser? u=%2Fnetahtml%2Fsrchnum.htm&Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&r=1&l=50&f=G&d=PALL&s1=5843070. PN.&OS=PN/5843070&RS=PN/5843070. Accessed September 16, 2008. 2. Dzugan SA, Smith RA. Broad spectrum restoration in natural steroid hormones as possible treatment for hypercholesterolemia. Bull Urg Rec Med. 2002;3:278-84. 3. Dzugan SA, Arnold SR. Hypercholesterolemia treatment: a new hypothesis or just an accident? Med Hypotheses. 2002 Dec;59(6):751-6. 4. Dzugan SA, Smith RA. Kuznetsov AS. A new statin free method of hypercholesterolemia. The Health of Donbass. 2004;4:19-25. 5. Driscoll I, Resnick SM. Testosterone and cognition in normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease: an update. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2007 Feb;4(1):33-45. 6. Andreen L, Sundstrom-Poromaa I, Bixo M, Nyberg S, Backstrom T. Allopregnanolone concentration and mood--a bimodal association in postmenopausal women treated with oral progesterone. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Aug;187(2):209-21. 7. Li H, Klein G, Sun P, Buchan AM. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reduces neuronal injury in a rat model of global cerebral ischemia. Brain Res. 2001 Jan 12;888(2):263-6. 8. Bucolo C, Drago F. Effects of neurosteroids on ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat retina: role of sigma1 recognition sites. Eur J Pharmacol. 2004 Sep 13;498(1-3):111-4. 9. Guth L, Zhang Z, Roberts E. Key role for pregnenolone in combination therapy that promotes recovery after spinal cord injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1994 Dec 6;91(25):12308-12. 10. Boekhoorn SS, Vingerling JR, Uitterlinden AG, et al. Estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms associated with incident aging macula disorder. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Mar;48(3):1012-7. 11. Smith W, Mitchell P, Wang JJ. Gender, oestrogen, hormone replacement and age-related macular degeneration: results from the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Aust N Z J Ophthalmol. 1997 May;25 Suppl 1:S13-5. 12. Vinding T, Nielsen NV. Retinopathy caused by treatment with tamoxifen in low dosage. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh). 1983 Feb;61(1):45-50. 13. Tamer C, Oksuz H, Sogut S. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate level in age-related macular degeneration. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007 Feb;143(2):212-6. 14. Tan JS, Wang JJ, Liew G, Rochtchina E, Mitchell P. Age-related macular degeneration and mortality from cardiovascular disease or stroke. Br J Ophthalmol. 2008 Apr;92(4):509-12. 15. Thijs L, Fagard R, Forette F, Nawrot T, Staessen JA. Are low dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels predictive for cardiovascular diseases? A review of prospective and retrospective studies. Acta Cardiol. 2003 Oct;58(5):403-10. 16. Guarneri P, Cascio C, Russo D, et al. Neurosteroids in the retina: neurodegenerative and neuroprotective agents in retinal degeneration. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2003 Dec;1007:117-28. 17. Malek G, Li CM, Guidry C, Medeiros NE, Curcio CA. Apolipoprotein B in cholesterol-containing drusen and basal deposits of human eyes with age-related maculopathy. Am J Pathol. 2003 Feb;162(2):413-25. 18. Li CM, Clark ME, Rudolf M, Curcio CA. Distribution and composition of esterified and unesterified cholesterol in extra-macular drusen. Exp Eye Res. 2007 Aug;85(2):192-201. 19. Curcio CA, Presley JB, Millican CL, Medeiros NE. Basal deposits and drusen in eyes with age-related maculopathy: evidence for solid lipid particles. Exp Eye Res. 2005 Jun;80(6):761-5. 20. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/573810?src=rss. Accessed September 16, 2008. 21. Bucolo C, Drago F, Lin LR, Reddy VN. Neuroactive steroids protect retinal pigment epithelium against oxidative stress. Neuroreport. 2005 Aug 1;16(11):1203-7. 22. Jaliffa CO, Howard S, Hoijman E, et al. Effect of neurosteroids on the retinal gabaergic system and electroretinographic activity in the golden hamster. J Neurochem. 2005 Sep;94(6):1666-75. 23. Binns AM, Margrain TH. Evaluating retinal function in age-related maculopathy with the ERG photostress test. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Jun;48(6):2806-13. 24. Lundmark PO, Pandi-Perumal SR, Srinivasan V, Cardinali DP. Role of melatonin in the eye and ocular dysfunctions. Vis Neurosci. 2006 Nov;23(6):853-62. 25. Yi C, Pan X, Yan H, Guo M, Pierpaoli W. Effects of melatonin in age-related macular degeneration. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2005 Dec;1057:384-92. 26. Guarneri P, Guarneri R, Cascio C, Pavasant P, Piccoli F, Papadopoulos V. Neurosteroidogenesis in rat retinas. J Neurochem. 1994 Jul;63(1):86-96. 27. Zarbin MA. Current concepts in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Apr;122(4):598-614. 28. Schutt F, Pauleikhoff D, Holz FG. Vitamins and trace elements in age-related macular degeneration. Current recommendations, based on the results of the AREDS study. Ophthalmologe. 2002 Apr;99(4):301-3

https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2008/12/preventing-macular-degeneration/page-01

Nearsighted in the Future?

Researchers estimate nearly 50 percent of the world population will be nearsighted by 2050. Today, the prevalence among students in Asia is over 80 percent. Discover what you can do to reduce your risk and protect your sight.

June 29, 2016

Story at-a-glance

• Between the early 1970s and early 2000s, the percentage of people diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness) jumped from 25 percent to 42 percent
• Wearing glasses is a short-term fix for a long-term problem and may increase the amount of distance vision you lose
• Contacts and LASIK surgery have significant and dangerous side effects. There are simple changes you can make to your daily routine that may help reduce your risk of developing or worsening nearsightedness

By Dr. Mercola

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a condition of the eyes making it difficult to see distant objects. With myopia you are able to see objects up close easier, such as books and your cell phone. The distance at which the objects begin to become blurry can change over time.

The number of people suffering from nearsightedness has grown significantly in the past years. In the early 1970s, the number of people affected was approximately 25 percent of those living in the U.S. In just 30 short years, that percentage jumped to 42 percent.1 

Now, a meta-analysis of 145 studies involving over 2 million participants predicts that nearly half of the world will be wearing glasses by the year 2050.2 The purpose of the study was to evaluate the increasing prevalence of myopia and high myopia throughout the world.

Researchers concluded that almost 1 billion people will suffer from ocular complications or vision loss from high myopia.

Nearly 10 percent of people or 938 million people will suffer from high myopia, where their nearsighted condition puts them at greater risk for glaucoma, retinal detachment, cataracts and macular degeneration.3

How Your Eye Functions

What you see is not interpreted in your eyes but rather in your brain. Light passes through the front of your eye (cornea) and the lens, and these structures help focus the light on the retina at the back of your eye.

The cells in the retina then convert the light to electrochemical impulses making their way over the optic nerve and into your brain. The front of your eye acts like a camera lens, letting more light in at night and less during the day. This is why your pupils are larger at night, to let in more light and allow you to see.4

Glasses are used to change the focus of light on your retina and improve your vision. However, while the intention is good, the ultimate results may not be as good.

During the day, your vision fluctuates. Glasses are not able to accommodate these natural changes in your vision, and therefore the static focus of the lens in your glasses can negatively affect the way your eye functions.

Imagine your glasses are like an ankle brace. In the short term, an ankle brace can help your body to heal from a sprained ankle, offering stability and protection to the joint.

However, worn over a long period of time, the muscles in the ankle become weak from disuse and you are more prone to another ankle sprain.

In the short term, glasses will help you to see more clearly. However, over a long period of time, your eye muscle strength may change, making your unaided vision worse.

Increasing Problems With Vision Possibly Triggered by a Variety of Factors

Your vision is not affected by just one factor in your environment. This video explains some of those factors. For many years, the science community laid the blame for nearsightedness at the doorstep of your genes.

However, the meteoric rise in the number of people affected, coupled with sociological changes and the disparity between the number affected in industrialized nations versus poor countries has led researchers to evaluate other potential causes.

In the meta-analysis published in Ophthalmology, researchers postulated the reasons for the increasing number of people with myopia were related to changes in the environment. According to the researchers:

"[T]he projected increases in myopia and high myopia are widely considered to be driven by environmental factors … principally lifestyle changes resulting from a combination of decreased time outdoors and increased near-work activities"5

Near work activities include work on a computer screen, reading books and cell phone usage. The number of children using hand held computer devices has increased dramatically in the past decade, reducing the number of hours spent outside.

Some believe this deadly combination also reduces the amount of time your eyes absorb sunlight, necessary for eye health. Another study points to high expectations within the school system to explain the increasing number of children in Asia who graduate from high school or college with glasses.6

This massive rise may be attributed to a lack of sunlight from hours spent doing school work. In the U.K., 20 to 30 percent of children wear glasses for myopia. In years past, this was also the rate in Asia.7

However today that rate is over 80 percent of all children and quickly approaching 90 percent. Ian Morgan, Ph.D. of the Australian National University led the study and called this a "major health problem."

What You Eat Impacts Your Eyesight

Interesting links have also been made between groups of people who have not embraced a Western diet and those who have. Countries with rising prevalence rates of myopia have adopted a Western diet regimen, high in refined carbohydrates and low in real foods.

This observation led to the hypothesis that increased levels of blood sugar and insulin may induce nearsightedness.8

Diets packed with foods triggering the release of insulin increases the number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes, especially in those populations not previously exposed to these diet choices.9,10 

Other research has also linked high levels of insulin and blood sugar to increasing rates of myopia, with or without the diagnosis of diabetes.11

Researchers propose it is a relationship between the high levels of insulin and scleral growth that leads to myopia.12 The sclera is the white, fibrous and protective outer layer of your eye, often referred to as the white of your eye.

Overgrowth of the sclera changes the shape of your eye, and therefore the direction light passes through the cornea and lens, affecting your eyesight.

The link found between myopia and high insulin levels does not require a diagnosis of diabetes, but rather just a diet high in net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber), triggering the release of large amounts of insulin.13

Glasses Prescribed at Different Rates Depending Upon the Professional

Increasing rates of nearsightedness are occurring in children, however the diagnosis of myopia will depend upon the professional who evaluates them.

Research published in the Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus discovered 35 percent of the children in the study who were evaluated by an optometrist received glasses for nearsightedness.

This is contrasted with the 11 percent examined by ophthalmologists and the 1.8 examined by pediatric ophthalmologists who received glasses.14

These significant differences suggest the potential your child will be diagnosed withmyopia and prescribed glasses is far higher if they are evaluated by an optometrist than an ophthalmologist or pediatric ophthalmologist. The study concluded a significant percentage of participants were prescribed glasses unnecessarily.

Contacts Are Not the Answer

While you may enjoy the appearance of not wearing glasses, contact lenses are not the answer you may have hoped for. Much like glasses, contact lenses work by changing the direction light enters your eye.

The lenses float on a layer of tears over the surface of your cornea. They have the same effect of worsening your unaided vision over time, as well as other more dangerous side effects.15 Eye infections and corneal scratches are two of the more common risks you may experience.

Wearing lenses also changes the environment and the type of bacteria living in your eye. In one study, researchers found if you wear contact lenses you have three times the proportion of bacterial species living on the surface of your eye.16

Eye infections are different from a common sty or pink eye. Although both are uncomfortable, the former doesn't increase your risk of losing your sight. Infections affecting your eyeball will cause redness, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, swelling and pain. It is essential you get immediate medical attention to reduce your risk of permanent damage.17

Since the introduction of contact lenses in the 1970s, the number of people suffering from corneal abrasions and ulcerations has dramatically increased. These openings in the surface of your eye increase the risk of infection in an environment already experiencing higher numbers of bacterial growth than normal.18

Acanthamoeba is a tiny, single-celled organism commonly found in your tap water. Wearing contact lenses in the shower, or poor contact lens hygiene, can lead to an infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), which may lead to blindness, or even loss of your eye.19

What About Lasik?

Another option to correct vision you may have explored is Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. The promise of a quick, computer-driven and laser surgery on your cornea to correct your vision, is actually nothing more than a promise.

In the short term, LASIK surgery typically provides amazing results. However, recent studies have pointed out complications from the procedure, including diminished sight after six months requiring glasses for night vision or reading. Other potential complications associated with LASIK surgery include:20

Vision loss Vision loss following this procedure cannot be corrected with contacts, glasses or surgery.

Severe dry eye After surgery your eye may not be able to produce enough tears, which may reduce visual quality, increase risk of infection, increase pain in the eye or cause blurry vision.

Chronic corneal neuropathic pain Disruption of the nerve endings during the surgery may cause unrelenting, excruciating eye pain.21,22

Debilitating visual symptoms These symptoms can include halos, glare or double vision. Some patients lose the ability to differentiate objects in low contrast situations, such as in the fog or at night. Lost night vision is one of the more common side effects of the procedure.

Possible secondary correction You may require a second surgery if your vision was undercorrected. However, if it was overcorrected there is no procedure to reverse the process.23

Small Changes Reap Big Rewards

Making small changes in your lifestyle choices may reduce your risk of myopia. It would also be wise to teach your children these strategies, to help protect their eyesight and reduce their risk of developing the condition.

Reduce the amount of close work Computers, digital games, reading and bookkeeping are just a few of the activities involving close work.	Spend time in sunshine Sunlight may release dopamine in your retina, slowing the growth of your eye and therefore possibly slowing the elongation of the eye and changes to your sight.24
Normalize your blood sugar Higher than normal levels of blood sugar and insulin may increase growth of scleral cells and change your eyesight.25	Astaxanthin and omega-3 supplementation Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, may help prevent blindness and may offer protection against a number of eye diseases, including macular degeneration, which is the No.1 cause of blindness. Omega-3 is also important for  healthy vision.26 My favorite source of omega-3 is krill oil.
Practice distance vision One of the high risk factors for developing nearsightedness is close work. Lift your eyes from your computer every 15 minutes to focus on objects at least 20 feet from where you're sitting.	Optimize computer use Sit at least an arms-length from your computer, reduce the glare from your screen using an anti-glare screen cover and make your computer screen the brightest light in the room.
Vitamin C supplementation Vitamin C helps protect your vision and protects your eyes from the formation of cataracts.	Relax your eye muscles Stressors can increase the tension in the muscles controlling your eyes, and therefore change the shape of the eye. By using relaxation methods to reduce the tension in your eye muscles, such as the Bates Method I used, you may experience the same success I have. I no longer use glasses for distance or reading to correct my vision.
Reduce blue light Blue light from your computer screen may reduce your production of melatonin, reducing your sleep and increasing your risk of diabetes. Insulin resistance increases your risk of myopia.27	Avoid trans fats Trans fats may contribute to macular degeneration and may interfere with omega-3 fatty acids.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/29/myopia-increasing-rates.aspx