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Time outdoors, blood vitamin D status and myopia: a review

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Abstract

Background: Myopia is a major public health concern throughout the world and the prevalence has been increasing rapidly in recent years, especially in urban Asia. The “vitamin D hypothesis” has been raised recently because vitamin D may be a link between less time outdoors and increased risk of myopia. Methods: We reviewed all studies published in English which examined the association of time outdoors and blood vitamin D status with myopia. Results: The protective effect of time spent outdoors on the risk of myopia onset has been well-established with numerous observational studies and three trials published. Five studies reporting the association between the blood vitamin D status and the risk of myopia and two studies examining the variations in the vitamin D receptor as potential risk factors for myopia development were identified. Most of the current evidence was cross-sectional in nature and had not properly controlled important confounders in its analyses. The evidence supporting that vitamin D played a role in myopia development is weak and the mechanisms are unclear. Conclusions: At the current stage, it is still unclear whether blood vitamin D status regulates the onset or progression of myopia. Blood vitamin D status may only serve as a biomarker of outdoor exposure, which is the real protective factor for myopia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Chen-Wei Pan & Deng-Juan Qian

  2. Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore

    Seang-Mei Saw

  3. Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore

    Seang-Mei Saw

Authors
  1. Chen-Wei Pan
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  2. Deng-Juan Qian
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  3. Seang-Mei Saw
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Correspondence to Seang-Mei Saw.

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Pan, CW., Qian, DJ. & Saw, SM. Time outdoors, blood vitamin D status and myopia: a review. Photochem Photobiol Sci 16, 426–432 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1039/c6pp00292g

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