Are people who wear glasses smarter than people who don’t?

It’s almost a guarantee that at some point in your life, you watched a TV show where a character who’s supposed to be smart – or, more specifically, who’s supposed to be a nerd – was seen wearing thick glasses. Glasses have been a visual shorthand for intelligence for generations, but as it turns out, there may be a relation between intelligence and poor vision.

The link between glasses and intelligence

According to a large study of over 300,000 people, people with higher cognitive function are 28 percent more likely to need corrective lenses, and 32 percent likelier to be shortsighted. These people were also more likely to live longer, with fewer health problems like heart attacks, high blood pressure, and lung cancer.

What is the link?

The relationship between intelligence and vision, as well as the other health issues, is due to a genetic overlap between them.

That said, while there is a correlation between intelligence and poor vision, scientists have not determined any cause to link the two. Further, this study almost exclusively included subjects of European descent, and that information could not be extrapolated to people of other ethnicities.

The psychological factor

It’s also worth noting the psychological link between glasses, intelligence, and physicality. People who wear glasses are more often perceived as smarter, less threatening, and more honest than people who don’t wear glasses.

Corrective lenses at CEENTA

If you need glasses or contact lenses, come to any of our North or South Carolina locations that offer optical services. Getting corrective lenses from CEENTA is always the smart thing to do.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our Eye doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.