A recent study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) suggests that adults who suffered from ‘lazy eye’ or amblyopia in childhood may have a higher risk of hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, along with an increased likelihood of heart attacks. However, it is important to note that while a correlation has been established, it does not necessarily mean a cause-effect relationship exists between childhood amblyopia and these health issues in adulthood.
The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, examined data from over 126,000 individuals aged between 40 to 69 years old, who were part of the UK Biobank cohort and had undergone eye examinations. During their recruitment, the participants were asked whether they had been treated for amblyopia in their childhood, and if they still had the condition as adults. They were also asked about any medical diagnoses of high blood pressure, diabetes, or cardio/cerebrovascular diseases such as angina, heart attacks, or strokes.
In addition to this, the researchers also measured the participants’ Body Mass Index (BMI), blood glucose, and cholesterol levels and monitored their mortality rates. From the 3,238 participants who reported having a ‘lazy eye’ as children, it was found that 82.2% continued to have reduced vision in one eye as adults.
The study findings showed that participants who had amblyopia as children had a 29% higher chance of developing diabetes, a 25% higher chance of having hypertension, and a 16% higher chance of being obese. They also had an increased risk of heart attacks, even when other risk factors like ethnicity, social class, and other diseases were considered.
Interestingly, this increased risk of health issues was not only present in those who still had vision problems, but also to a certain extent in participants who had amblyopia as a child and had 20/20 vision as adults, although the correlation was not as strong.
Amblyopia is an eye condition that affects up to four in every 100 children. It is a neurodevelopmental condition where the vision in one eye does not develop properly, usually due to a squint or long-sightedness. The condition arises when the brain and the eye do not work together properly, preventing the brain from processing the visual signal from the affected eye correctly.
The researchers hope that their study will highlight the importance of child health as a foundation for adult health. They emphasize that their research does not show a causal relationship between amblyopia and ill health in adulthood, but it does mean that an adult who had amblyopia as a child is more likely to develop these disorders than an adult who did not have amblyopia.
This research was a collaborative effort between the University of the Aegean, University of Leicester, King’s College London, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and the NIHR BRC at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital. It was funded by the Medical Research Council, the NIHR, and the Ulverscroft Foundation.
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