Abstract: Myopia is the most common cause of correctable visual impairment，which affect the individual’s quality of life seriously. Higher myopia is associated with comorbidities that increase risks of severe and irreversible loss of vision, such as cataract, glaucoma, retinal detachment, subretinal neovascularization, and myopic macular degeneration. Population-based epidemiological surveys show that although the prevalence of myopia of different ethnic and regional differences have a big difference, the prevalence of myopia generally increases in recent years. The problem is particularly pronounced in affluent, industrialized areas of east Asia. Environmental risk factors for myopia related to socioeconomic status and lifestyle have been identified. In the past decade  a greater understanding of the molecular biological mechanisms that determine refractive error has been taken, giving further support to the belief that myopia is the result of a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental exposures.   (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2015, 39：75-179)