近视远视眼与基因有关
路透社伦敦健康消息 近视患者的数目在近十年来一直稳定增加，根据世界卫生组织(WHO)的报告，全球有20%的儿童需要佩戴眼镜，这个比例在一些国家更高。专家认为，大约有50%的新加坡儿童近视。在日本，据估计有三分之二的17岁青少年近视。目前科学家还没有找到近视远视眼增加的原因。
伦敦圣·托马斯医院孪生子研究和遗传流行病学科的研究人员调查了500多对英国的孪生子后发现，父母视力不好孩子也往往需要戴眼镜。85%的近视和远视是遗传的，散光患者中则有一半是由于基因遗传所致。研究人员也强调，环境在决定一个人是否需要戴眼镜中起着重要作用。该研究结果发表在《眼科学和视光学研究》杂志上。
圣·托马斯医院的眼科咨询专家，这项研究的作者之一克里斯多佛·J·哈蒙德说，在东方，近视眼突然在最近一代人中流行，表明某些非遗传背景因素影响视力。对有遗传易感性的人来说，视力不佳的诱因可能是由于用眼过度。东方国家家庭多重视教育，孩子在阅读书籍、玩电脑游戏以及使用互联网方面一般比西方的儿童花的时间多，这也许可以解释为什么东方国家出现近视眼大流行。尽管这是一项对英国儿童的研究，将其结论完全套在日本身上可能不太合适，但是总的来说，其结果是相似的。
, http://www.100md.com
下一阶段的研究是确定易感基因。一旦确定了易感基因，就能够弄清近视和远视的发生机制，为什么会发生以及怎样发生的，从而确定高危人群并采取保护性治疗措施。眼球变形可导致视力障碍，研究人员期望将来可能发明防止眼球变形的滴眼液或者口服药片。
来源：《眼科学和视光学研究》2001;42:1232-1236.
Genes Implicated in Vision Problems
LONDON (Reuters Health) - Parents with poor eyesight are more likely to have children who need glasses, research involving more than 500 pairs of British twins has revealed.
, 百拇医药
The study, carried out by scientists at the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit at St. Thomas‘ Hospital in London, shows that 85% of cases of short- and long-sightedness are inherited and half of all cases of astigmatism are due to an inherited gene.
However, the researchers also stress that the environment plays an important role in determining whether we need glasses. The results of the current study are published in the journal of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
, 百拇医药
The incidence of short-sightedness, or myopia, has been increasing steadily for decades, though scientists have been at a loss to explain why.
According to the World Health Organisation, 20% of children need glasses, though this percentage is higher in some countries than in others. About 50% of children in Singapore are thought to be short-sighted, while an estimated two thirds of Japanese 17-year-olds are affected.
Christopher J. Hammond, consultant ophthalmologist at St. Thomas‘ Hospital and a co-author of the study, told Reuters Health that the explosion of short-sightedness among people in the Far East has occurred in one generation, indicating that something other than genetic background has an influence on eyesight.
, 百拇医药
``The trigger for poor sight is probably close work in those who are genetically susceptible. Children in the Far East are generally more educationally driven and work a lot harder in terms of reading books as well as playing computer games and using the Internet than children in the West, which may explain the epidemic levels of myopia over there,‘‘ he said. ``Although this is a British study and we can‘t necessarily transfer our findings to Japan, on the whole it is probably going to be similar.‘‘
, 百拇医药
The next stage in the research is to identify the susceptibility gene, Hammond explained.
``Once we have done that, we can try to understand the mechanism of short- and long-sightedness--how and why it happens. Hopefully, then we will be able to identify those at risk and embark on preventative treatment,‘‘ he said.
Although no such treatment is yet available, in the future it may be possible to develop eye drops or tablets that prevent distortion of the shape of the eyeball, which leads to poor eyesight, Hammond said.
SOURCE: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2001;42:1232-1236., 百拇医药
伦敦圣·托马斯医院孪生子研究和遗传流行病学科的研究人员调查了500多对英国的孪生子后发现，父母视力不好孩子也往往需要戴眼镜。85%的近视和远视是遗传的，散光患者中则有一半是由于基因遗传所致。研究人员也强调，环境在决定一个人是否需要戴眼镜中起着重要作用。该研究结果发表在《眼科学和视光学研究》杂志上。
圣·托马斯医院的眼科咨询专家，这项研究的作者之一克里斯多佛·J·哈蒙德说，在东方，近视眼突然在最近一代人中流行，表明某些非遗传背景因素影响视力。对有遗传易感性的人来说，视力不佳的诱因可能是由于用眼过度。东方国家家庭多重视教育，孩子在阅读书籍、玩电脑游戏以及使用互联网方面一般比西方的儿童花的时间多，这也许可以解释为什么东方国家出现近视眼大流行。尽管这是一项对英国儿童的研究，将其结论完全套在日本身上可能不太合适，但是总的来说，其结果是相似的。
, http://www.100md.com
下一阶段的研究是确定易感基因。一旦确定了易感基因，就能够弄清近视和远视的发生机制，为什么会发生以及怎样发生的，从而确定高危人群并采取保护性治疗措施。眼球变形可导致视力障碍，研究人员期望将来可能发明防止眼球变形的滴眼液或者口服药片。
来源：《眼科学和视光学研究》2001;42:1232-1236.
Genes Implicated in Vision Problems
LONDON (Reuters Health) - Parents with poor eyesight are more likely to have children who need glasses, research involving more than 500 pairs of British twins has revealed.
, 百拇医药
The study, carried out by scientists at the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit at St. Thomas‘ Hospital in London, shows that 85% of cases of short- and long-sightedness are inherited and half of all cases of astigmatism are due to an inherited gene.
However, the researchers also stress that the environment plays an important role in determining whether we need glasses. The results of the current study are published in the journal of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
, 百拇医药
The incidence of short-sightedness, or myopia, has been increasing steadily for decades, though scientists have been at a loss to explain why.
According to the World Health Organisation, 20% of children need glasses, though this percentage is higher in some countries than in others. About 50% of children in Singapore are thought to be short-sighted, while an estimated two thirds of Japanese 17-year-olds are affected.
Christopher J. Hammond, consultant ophthalmologist at St. Thomas‘ Hospital and a co-author of the study, told Reuters Health that the explosion of short-sightedness among people in the Far East has occurred in one generation, indicating that something other than genetic background has an influence on eyesight.
, 百拇医药
``The trigger for poor sight is probably close work in those who are genetically susceptible. Children in the Far East are generally more educationally driven and work a lot harder in terms of reading books as well as playing computer games and using the Internet than children in the West, which may explain the epidemic levels of myopia over there,‘‘ he said. ``Although this is a British study and we can‘t necessarily transfer our findings to Japan, on the whole it is probably going to be similar.‘‘
, 百拇医药
The next stage in the research is to identify the susceptibility gene, Hammond explained.
``Once we have done that, we can try to understand the mechanism of short- and long-sightedness--how and why it happens. Hopefully, then we will be able to identify those at risk and embark on preventative treatment,‘‘ he said.
Although no such treatment is yet available, in the future it may be possible to develop eye drops or tablets that prevent distortion of the shape of the eyeball, which leads to poor eyesight, Hammond said.
SOURCE: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2001;42:1232-1236., 百拇医药
参见：首页 > 医疗版 > 疾病专题 > 各科病症 > 眼科