08 March 2024 , 15:36
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They say eyes are the window to the soul, but it turns out they could tell you a lot about your overall health, too.
The health of your eyes is something that is largely out of your control, whether you've been wearing glasses since you were a child or have noticed your eyesight deteriorating as you've gotten older. But according to new research, your eye health could make you more likely to face other chronic health conditions.
The study suggested that people who had a "lazy" eye during childhood might be at higher risk of chronic diseases including diabetes and heart disease. It also found that those diagnosed with amblyopia - a neurodevelopmental condition where vision in one eye does not develop properly - as children were more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes when they got older.
Professor Jugnoo Rahi, of UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Great Ormond Street Hospital, explained that four in 100 children are affected by amblyopia, Bristol Live reports, and all children under the age of five should have a vision screening to "ensure a prompt diagnosis and relevant treatment".
Amblyopia develops when the brain cannot properly process visual signals in the affected eye, and in the UK, treatment usually starts before the age of seven, which can sometimes help improve vision in the weaker eye.
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In the new study - published in the eClinicalMedicine journal - researchers looked at the health data of 126,399 UK adults between the ages of 40 to 69, using information from the UK Biobank, which holds medical and lifestyle records of more than half a million people. It found that among the 3,238 people who reported having a lazy eye as a child, more than four out of five had persistent vision problems into adulthood.
Those who had the condition as a child also showed a 29% higher risk of developing diabetes, 25% higher odds of having high blood pressure, and 16% more likely to be obese, as well as being at increased risk of a heart attack. This data still holds true when other risk factors for these conditions - such as social class, ethnicity, and other diseases - were taken into account. Health problems were also seen in people who had amblyopia as a child but regained their vision, although the correlation was not as strong, the team added.
However, researchers insisted the findings do not show a "casual relationship" between amblyopia and ill health, and instead explained children with the condition may need more incentive to follow a healthy lifestyle throughout childhood and into adulthood. The study also doesn't mean every child with amblyopia will develop other conditions in later life, but action should be taken to avoid it by staying active and eating well.