亞洲地區近視人口數倍增的隱憂
原文刊登日期：May 04, 2012
Up to 90% of school leavers in major Asian cities are suffering from myopia - short-sightedness - a study suggests. Researchers say the "extraordinary rise" in the problem is being caused by students working very hard in school and missing out on outdoor light。
近期的一項研究表明，在亞洲主要城市中，高達90%的畢業生都患有近視。
The scientists told the Lancet that up to one in five of these students could experience severe visual impairment and even blindness. In the UK, the average level of myopia is between 20% and 30%。
研究者對權威醫學期刊《Lancet》雜誌表示，五個學生中有一個可能會遇到嚴重的視力障礙，甚至失明。
According to Professor Ian Morgan, who led this study and is from the Australian National University, 20-30% was once the average among people in South East Asia as well. "What we've done is written a review of all the evidence which suggests that something extraordinary has happened in east Asia in the last two generations," he told BBC News。
領導這項研究的是來自澳大利亞國立大學的 Morgan 教授說，“我們所做的就是將所有研究結果落實書面形式，證據表明，在東亞地區最近兩代人中出現的近視率飆升非同尋常。”
"They've gone from something like 20% myopia in the population to well over 80%, heading for 90% in young adults, and as they get adult it will just spread through the population. It certainly poses a major health problem."
Eye experts say that you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 2m (6.6ft). It is often caused by an elongation of the eyeball that happens when people are young. According to the research, the problem is being caused by a combination of factors - a commitment to education and lack of outdoor light。
根據眼科專家的說法，如果你的視力超過2米(6.6英尺)就模糊不清，那你就是近視。其原因通常是由於人們年輕時眼球拉伸造成的。據研究，這個問題是由多種因素造成，包括專注學習以及較少接觸室外光線。
Professor Morgan argues that many children in South East Asia spend long hours studying at school and doing their homework. This in itself puts pressure on the eyes, but exposure to between two and three hours of daylight acts as a counterbalance and helps maintain healthy eyes。
教授認為，接觸兩三個小時的日光可起到抗衡作用，並有助於保持健康的眼睛。
"We're talking about the need for two to three hours a day of outdoor light - it doesn't have to be massively sunny, we think the operating range is 10-20,000 lux, we're not sure about that - but that's perfectly achievable on a cloudy day in the UK."
“我們所說的是一天中需要兩到三個小時的戶外光線，並不需要大量的光線。1到2萬的勒克斯照明強度應該足夠。”
Massive pressures
Cultural factors also seem to play a part. Across many parts of South East Asia, children often have a lunchtime nap. According to Professor Morgan they are missing out on prime light to prevent myopia。
文化因素似乎也起著一定作用。在東南亞的許多地區，兒童往往有午間小睡的習慣。據教授說，他們錯過了預防近視的黃金光線。
"Children suffer from a double whammy in South East Asia," says Professor Morgan. "As a result of massive educational pressures and the construction of a child's day, the amount of time they spend outside in bright light is minimised."
“東南亞孩子是禍不單行”。
A big concern is the numbers of students suffering from "high" myopia. According to Professor Morgan, this affects between 10% and 20% of students in Asian cities. It can lead to vision loss, visual impairment and even blindness。
患高度近視的學生人數增多是一個大問題。其結果可能是視力下降、視力障礙，甚至失明。
"These people are at considerable risk - sometimes people are not told about it and are just given more powerful glasses - they need to be warned about the risk and given some self-testing measures so they can get to an ophthalmologist and get some help."
“這些人都面臨相當大的風險，有時人們對此並不瞭解，而只換戴更大度數的眼鏡。需要有專家警告他們注意其中相關的風險，並指導他們進行一些自我檢測，這樣他們就能夠去看眼科醫生並得到一些幫助。”
For decades, researchers believed there was a strong genetic component to the condition. It was believed that people from China, Japan, Korea and other countries were particularly susceptible to developing myopia. But this study strongly suggests an alternative view。
據信中國、日本、韓國等國家的人特別容易發展成近視。但這次研究卻有力地證明了另一種觀點。
In Singapore, where there are large numbers of people from Chinese, Malay and Indian backgrounds, all three ethnic groups have seen a dramatic rise in short-sightedness. Professor Morgan says you cannot rule out genetics completely, but for him it's not the major factor。
在新加坡，來自中國、馬來西亞和印度等國的基因背景人群都出現近視率急劇上升的情況，但新加坡卻沒有。
"Any type of simple genetic explanation just doesn't fit with that speed of change; gene pools just don't change in two generations. Whether it's a purely environmental effect or an environmental effect playing a sensitive genome, it really doesn't matter, the thing that's changed is not the gene pool - it's the environment."
“任何類型的簡單遺傳解釋都無法說明變化的速度之快；基因庫絕不會在兩代人時間內發生變化。無論這是一個純粹的環境影響或環境對一個敏感的基因組產生作用，這其實並不重要，真正變化的不是基因庫，而是環境。”
近期的一項研究表明，在亞洲主要城市中，高達90%的畢業生都患有近視。
The scientists told the Lancet that up to one in five of these students could experience severe visual impairment and even blindness. In the UK, the average level of myopia is between 20% and 30%。
研究者對權威醫學期刊《Lancet》雜誌表示，五個學生中有一個可能會遇到嚴重的視力障礙，甚至失明。
According to Professor Ian Morgan, who led this study and is from the Australian National University, 20-30% was once the average among people in South East Asia as well. "What we've done is written a review of all the evidence which suggests that something extraordinary has happened in east Asia in the last two generations," he told BBC News。
領導這項研究的是來自澳大利亞國立大學的 Morgan 教授說，“我們所做的就是將所有研究結果落實書面形式，證據表明，在東亞地區最近兩代人中出現的近視率飆升非同尋常。”
"They've gone from something like 20% myopia in the population to well over 80%, heading for 90% in young adults, and as they get adult it will just spread through the population. It certainly poses a major health problem."
Eye experts say that you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 2m (6.6ft). It is often caused by an elongation of the eyeball that happens when people are young. According to the research, the problem is being caused by a combination of factors - a commitment to education and lack of outdoor light。
根據眼科專家的說法，如果你的視力超過2米(6.6英尺)就模糊不清，那你就是近視。其原因通常是由於人們年輕時眼球拉伸造成的。據研究，這個問題是由多種因素造成，包括專注學習以及較少接觸室外光線。
Professor Morgan argues that many children in South East Asia spend long hours studying at school and doing their homework. This in itself puts pressure on the eyes, but exposure to between two and three hours of daylight acts as a counterbalance and helps maintain healthy eyes。
教授認為，接觸兩三個小時的日光可起到抗衡作用，並有助於保持健康的眼睛。
"We're talking about the need for two to three hours a day of outdoor light - it doesn't have to be massively sunny, we think the operating range is 10-20,000 lux, we're not sure about that - but that's perfectly achievable on a cloudy day in the UK."
“我們所說的是一天中需要兩到三個小時的戶外光線，並不需要大量的光線。1到2萬的勒克斯照明強度應該足夠。”
Massive pressures
Cultural factors also seem to play a part. Across many parts of South East Asia, children often have a lunchtime nap. According to Professor Morgan they are missing out on prime light to prevent myopia。
文化因素似乎也起著一定作用。在東南亞的許多地區，兒童往往有午間小睡的習慣。據教授說，他們錯過了預防近視的黃金光線。
"Children suffer from a double whammy in South East Asia," says Professor Morgan. "As a result of massive educational pressures and the construction of a child's day, the amount of time they spend outside in bright light is minimised."
“東南亞孩子是禍不單行”。
A big concern is the numbers of students suffering from "high" myopia. According to Professor Morgan, this affects between 10% and 20% of students in Asian cities. It can lead to vision loss, visual impairment and even blindness。
患高度近視的學生人數增多是一個大問題。其結果可能是視力下降、視力障礙，甚至失明。
"These people are at considerable risk - sometimes people are not told about it and are just given more powerful glasses - they need to be warned about the risk and given some self-testing measures so they can get to an ophthalmologist and get some help."
“這些人都面臨相當大的風險，有時人們對此並不瞭解，而只換戴更大度數的眼鏡。需要有專家警告他們注意其中相關的風險，並指導他們進行一些自我檢測，這樣他們就能夠去看眼科醫生並得到一些幫助。”
For decades, researchers believed there was a strong genetic component to the condition. It was believed that people from China, Japan, Korea and other countries were particularly susceptible to developing myopia. But this study strongly suggests an alternative view。
據信中國、日本、韓國等國家的人特別容易發展成近視。但這次研究卻有力地證明了另一種觀點。
In Singapore, where there are large numbers of people from Chinese, Malay and Indian backgrounds, all three ethnic groups have seen a dramatic rise in short-sightedness. Professor Morgan says you cannot rule out genetics completely, but for him it's not the major factor。
在新加坡，來自中國、馬來西亞和印度等國的基因背景人群都出現近視率急劇上升的情況，但新加坡卻沒有。
"Any type of simple genetic explanation just doesn't fit with that speed of change; gene pools just don't change in two generations. Whether it's a purely environmental effect or an environmental effect playing a sensitive genome, it really doesn't matter, the thing that's changed is not the gene pool - it's the environment."
“任何類型的簡單遺傳解釋都無法說明變化的速度之快；基因庫絕不會在兩代人時間內發生變化。無論這是一個純粹的環境影響或環境對一個敏感的基因組產生作用，這其實並不重要，真正變化的不是基因庫，而是環境。”
原文出處 Originated from
BBC News - Massive rise in Asian eye damage
study Up to 90% of Asian Schoolchildren Are Nearsighted
In East Asia, Myopia Epidemic Sets Off Alarm Bells
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