Focusing on high Myopia: Genetic causes and phenotypic outcome

Myopia is a refractive error in which the light rays entering the eye are focused in front of the retina leading to blurred vision. It is a highly common ocular condition caused by axial elongation of the eye, i.e. the eye is too long. High myopia is the more severe form of this refractive error often defined as an axial length > 26 mm or a refractive error This thesis also focused on the clinical consequences of this highly common disease. We identified that all forms of myopia are associated with an increased risk of myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and retinal detachment. The most important risk factors were age and myopia severity: the longer the eye, the higher the prevalence of complications. Since myopia prevalence is increasing globally and since most myopia complications are untreatable yet, myopia will become the leading cause of blindness, which will but a significant burden on our health care system and society.

This thesis showed that the number of retinal detachments in the Netherlands increased by 44% during recent years, probably due to a simultaneous increase in myopia prevalence. These alarming numbers should encourage eye care providers and policy makers to develop and implement prevention strategies and educate patients about the risks of myopia.