There is finally an upside to needing to wear glasses or undergo laser eye surgery! New research by The University of Edinburgh in Scotland suggests that it is intelligent people who are more likely to have poorer vision.
The study, published in the Nature Communications journal, involved researchers studying cognitive and genetic data from over 300,000 people aged between 16 and 102. They concluded that participants who were more intelligent were almost 30% more likely to have genes related to poorer eyesight.
The research also looked at the link between intelligence and other health conditions such as hypertension and cancer. There appeared to be a negative correlation between intelligence and health problems such as lung cancer and depression. Participants who had higher cognitive ability seemed to suffer from angina, depression and lung cancer in far smaller numbers than the less intelligent participants.
This study was the largest of its kind, so we think this gives you a good excuse to boast about how intelligent science says you are (thanks to your poor vision). However, it should be noted that the study only shows correlation, not conclusive links. It is not suggesting that cognitive ability can predict future health conditions.
Socially, the stereotype of the glasses-wearing geek is well known. More intelligent characters in movies wear glasses and some defense lawyers even find that their clients are less likely to get found guilty if they wear glasses. Perhaps after you’ve undergone laser eye surgery, keep hold of your old glasses, just in case you ever have to face a jury!
So, there we have it. BoydVision’s laser eye surgery clinic must be full to the brim with intelligent people. If you are looking to improve your intelligence-induced poor vision, contact us today to book a free consultation with our laser eye surgeon Dr. Boyd.