Professor Park Kyu Hyung (School of Medicine) presented a new medical finding that people who weigh less are more likely to face macular degeneration, an optical disease not uncommon among the elderly which can lead to loss of sight. This contravenes previous medical theory that obese people are more likely to face macular degeneration. From 2008 to 2011, Professor Park analyzed the medical records of 14,532 people over the age of forty, looking for factors which lead to macular degeneration. He found that macular degeneration is more commonly found in skinny people than it is found among overweight people. Also, HDL cholesterol which was believed to be beneficial to the human body proved to be a risk factor. Professor Park argued that “previous theories do not apply to Koreans. I would recommend that people maintain standard weight through a balanced diet.”

• The research findings were published online in Ophthalmology on September 14.
• SNU Dept. of Ophthalmology: http://medicine.snu.ac.kr

Summary by LEE Hee Un, SNU English Editor, gurume0221@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by Melora Brett Briana Johnson, morningcalm2@gmail.com