This study was published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology in April 2020. Xi Jiaotong University in China and the University of South Australia in Australia analyzed the data of six prospective studies. The survey includes more than 17 1620 participants worldwide. Studies have found that the more active the body, the lower the risk of senile cataract.
Research: Regular running is helpful to cataract, the enemy of eye aging. In fact, cataracts can occur at any age, and the causes include: senile, congenital, traumatic, complicated (such as high myopia, diabetic patients or after radiotherapy), drug-induced (long-term use of steroids). Of course, the most common type of cataract is senile cataract.
Senile cataract generally occurs over 55 years old. The older you are, the higher the chance of developing cataract. In recent years, the global population is aging seriously, and the prevalence of senile cataract is increasing. With the diversification of 3C products, the age group suffering from cataract has a downward trend.
Cataract mainly causes the lens of the eye to become turbid and hard, just like the lens of a camera is dirty, which blocks the light from entering, and seeing things will be like seeing flowers in the fog. With the development of cataract, vision loss, visual discoloration and close reading ability can occur in the early stage; If it is more serious, there may be halo, eye pain, headache, nausea and other symptoms, which greatly affect the quality of life and even lead to blindness in severe cases.
Although the pathogenesis of senile cataract is not clear, free radical cell damage, insulin resistance and unhealthy fat (cholesterol and triglycerides) may increase its risk. In addition, some living habits, such as exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet rays) and smoking, can be classified as risk factors for accelerating deterioration.
Cataracts? Running, cycling and walking can reduce the occurrence of cataracts. In the research published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology, aiming at how exercise can reduce the oxidative damage of eye cells (oxidative damage is the cause of many inflammatory reactions, degeneration and aging), it is found that people who regularly train such as running, cycling and walking reduce the risk of senile cataract by 65,438+00%.
The study also shows that if the metabolic equivalent (MET) of daily physical activity is 6 MET, the risk of senile cataract will be reduced by 2%. For comparison between daily physical activity and metabolic equivalent, please refer to the following table:
Comparison of Daily Physical Activity and Metabolic Equivalent Source: Handbook of Healthy Physical Fitness in Taiwan Province Province, Ministry of Health and Welfare, why is exercise good for eyes? Presumably, Dr. Li Ming, a researcher and epidemiologist at the University of South Australia, pointed out that physical activity can reduce oxidative stress. For eyes, reducing oxidative stress can protect high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids from decomposition, and high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids can easily lead to cell damage. In addition, exercise can increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes, which has many benefits, including limiting eye infections and inflammation.
Previous studies have also shown that long-term physical exercise will increase cholesterol (high density lipoprotein HDL), which can help absorb more antioxidants from plasma into the lens of the eye to prevent oxidative damage. Exercise can also improve insulin and blood lipid, both of which are related to the occurrence of senile cataract.
Physical activity can reduce oxidative stress and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Although exercise is good for your eyes, you should pay more attention to protecting your eyes when running and cycling outdoors, because prolonged exposure to the sun will increase the risk of cataract. It's hot in summer and the sun is high. Remember to use 100% UVA and UVB sunglasses to protect your eyes every day when you go out for a run, and don't let your eyesight "go wrong because of exercise".