STUDY OF BLOOD GROUPS AND MYOPIA AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM WESTERN MAHARASHTRA

Introduction: The blood groups were rst discovered by Karl Landsteiner. According to the presence of different antigens on the surface of RBCs, he classied four blood groups viz. A, B, AB and O. Many researchers observed the high prevalence of certain diseases in particular blood groups. Myopia or nearsightedness showed familial tendency and strongly suggest genetic causation. The writing, reading, outdoor exposure and family history are the major risk factor for myopia. Previous studies trying to nd relation between myopia and blood groups found contradicting results. Aim: To study the myopia and its relation to blood groups among medical students from Western Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: The present cross sectional study was carried out in department of Physiology at Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Rural Medical College Loni from Western Maharashtra. Total 159 rst MBBS student were selected for the study. Blood groups were determined by Hem-agglutination Method. Myopia determined by using Snellen's chart. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 21. P value of < 0.05 was considered as signicant. Results: Blood group 'B' had highest cases of myopia 47(29.55%) followed by 'O' 25(15.72%), 'A' 17(10.69%) and blood group 'AB' 03(1.88%). The cases of myopia in decreasing order were B>O>A>AB. No any signicant relationship found between blood groups and myopia (p value=0.2908). Slightly higher cases of myopia 49(30.82%) observed in female as compare to the male 44(27.67%). Conclusion: Prevalence of myopia is higher in medical students. There is no signicant relationship between blood groups and myopia. Encouragement for outdoor activity and reduced use of mobile and laptop may be helpful to reduce the prevalence of myopia in medical students.