JINS Co., Ltd., a major eyeglass retailer, has begun joint research with the Graduate School of Medicine and School of Medicine at Osaka University to use big data from eyeglass sales to investigate the distribution of refractive errors such as myopia and astigmatism. The distribution of refractive power will be analyzed from various perspectives, such as region and age, to investigate changes in the epidemiological characteristics of refractive conditions and the associated risk of vision disorders, and the results will be used in eye treatment.
According to JINS, this is the first clinical study in Japan to utilize big data from eyeglass sales (according to JINS Co., Ltd.), and the company has signed a joint research agreement with Professor Ryo Kawasaki of the Graduate School of Medicine at Osaka University. Neurosensory surgery doctors will also cooperate in the research.
While research into refractive conditions has been conducted in the past, most of the research was conducted in limited areas or for limited age groups. JINS will provide data from sales at approximately 500 stores nationwide to conduct clinical research on an unprecedented scale.
By analyzing data from a wide range of regions and age groups, JINS believes that it will be able to conduct analysis from a multi-faceted perspective, making it possible to discover evidence that will be useful for epidemiological research into refractive error.
Professor Kawasaki commented, "Japan has a high level of myopia compared to the rest of the world, but there is much that we do not know about things like trends in myopia degrees and regional differences. We hope to discover knowledge through this collaborative research that can contribute to measures to combat refractive errors."
