We always thought people who wore glasses were smarter than the average bear, and now new research has finally confirmed it to be true.
A new study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, published in the Nature Communications Journal, has found a link between higher levels of intelligence and people who need to wear glasses. The study, the largest of its kind ever conducted, found intelligent people are 30 per cent more likely to have genes linked to poorer eyesight.
For their study researchers analysed both cognitive and genetic data from more than 300,000 people aged between 16 and 102. The research was obtained through the UK Biobank and the Charge and Cogent consortia.
They quickly discovered there was an overlap between not only cognitive function and eyesight, but also hypertension and longevity. And while some would argue having poorer eyesight isn’t necessarily a great thing, researchers also found a series of positive health benefits for people with these intelligence genes. For example, for those analysed in the study, the more intelligent the participant, the less likely they were to develop coronary artery disease, depression or lung cancer. Having said that, the researchers noted these were simply correlations and not conclusive links.
The new findings back up previous research linking intelligence with wearing glasses. In a 2011 report by the American Society of Trial Consultants, it was found defendants in criminal trials are often asked by defence lawyers to wear glasses to make them look smarter to help win their case.
“Because eyeglasses have a notable effect on the judgment of an individual’s appearance and character, both of which play an important role throughout the criminal justice process, it is important to evaluate their influence on the perception of a defendant who wears such devices,” the study’s author wrote.
Read more: A tale of a pair of glasses
Further more, in that study of 3,000 Americans, 40 per cent of respondents thought eyeglasses made someone smarter, while 39 per cent thought it made someone look sophisticated.
It’s a trend that’s often seen on the silver screen too, with brainiac characters in movies or TV shows often dressed up with a pair of glasses to let the audience know they mean serious business.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are hoping their findings will help them determine how and why cognitive function and intelligence declines as people grow older.