Progress on the relationship between high-sugar diet and myopia development

Abstract

Myopia has become a major public health problem affecting the eye health of our nationals, especially adolescents, and is listed as one of the three major diseases in the world. The etiology of myopia is complex and it is currently considered to be mainly related to environmental factors and genetic factors. Dietary factors are less concerned, but it has been reported that there is a correlation between high-sugar diet and the occurrence and development of myopia. Studies have found that high-sugar diet can cause hyperinsulinemia, which mediates the increase of retinal insulin-like growth factor(IGF-1, IGF-2)expression level, and the decrease of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3)expression level in scleral fibroblasts, thereby activating signal transduction and transcriptional activator protein 3(STAT3)signaling pathway, and then acting on scleral matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)/transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)and other factors, resulting in a decrease in scleral extracellular matrix(ECM), eventually leading to scleral remodeling, eye axis growth and myopia. This article explores the relationship between high-sugar diet and the occurrence and development of myopia from the aspects of epidemiology and biological mechanisms by consulting relevant literature, and provides research directions for the prevention and control of myopia.

Keywords

• high-sugar diet
• myopia
• adolescent
• occurrence of myopia
• development of myopia