CHAMPS Eye Study - Myopia and Retinal Vascular Geometry in Relation to Physical Activity.

An increasingly physical inactive lifestyle in the Western World has led to a higher number of lifestyle -related diseases. The consequences are now already present in childhood with an increased prevalence of overweight, obesity, and diabetes. Inactivity is also accompanied by cardiovascular iseases and is also thought to be associated with an increased incidence of nearsightedness (myopia).

Myopia is the most frequent eye disease globally, and causes severe personal and societal expenses and may additionally lead to secondary eye disorders such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataract.

The retina is the only place in the human body where it is possible to directly inspect the blood vessels (microvasculature). Photography of the eye background allows a noninvasive examination of the retinal structure in which it is possible to make measurements on the retinal blood vessels.

It is well known that early vascular chances can be detected with this method and that there are correlation between these changes and systemic diseases, such as hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

This study is a new subproject in The Childhood Health, Activity, and Motor Performance School (CHAMPS) Study Denmark, also known as the Svendborg Project. The project has a well-defined cohort with originally 1515 school students who since 2007 have been divided into two groups: schools with extra exercise during school hours and matched traditional schools. CHAMPS-DK aims to investigate the effect of increased physical activity on current and future health of children and adolescents.

Thanks to this unique child cohort it is possible to investigate the correlation between physical activity, myopia and retinal vascular diameters in a large group of Danish schoolchildren. We want to study the degree and reversibility of physical activity and its effect on the development of myopia and retinal blood vessel changes. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the correlation between physical activity and retinal vascular diameters in children. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether physical activity can prevent the development of myopia; such a realization could have far-reaching consequences in form of a modified approach to the necessity for exercise and, furthermore, potentially a significant socio-economic benefit.