Myopia is a disease, not a refractive error — here’s what that means

The overall cost of direct care and indirect costs of myopia, including loss of productivity, was estimated to be US$244 billion in 2015. (Shutterstock)

Myopia is a refractive error (blurred vision at a given distance) that affects around 30 per cent of the world’s population. This proportion is increasing so quickly that it is estimated it will reach 50 per cent by 2050.

The United States-based National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently changed the way myopia is defined. NAS now considers myopia to be a disease rather than a refractive error. This shift reflects the scientific understanding that high myopia, a more severe form of the disorder, can potentially cause significant pathological changes.