Leisure screen time linked to higher blepharoptosis risk: a Mendelian randomization study

Which factors drive blepharoptosis? Blepharoptosis is among the most common eyelid malposition disorders and can impair appearance and visual function, with about 15%–25% of cases of uncertain cause. Observational studies are vulnerable to confounding and reverse causation. In this two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, genetic variants (p < 5 × 10⁻⁸) from European-descent genome-wide association studies were used as instruments for 16 modifiable factors, with blepharoptosis data from the FinnGen study (1349 cases, 203,231 controls).

What the study found. Genetically predicted leisure screen time was associated with higher odds of blepharoptosis (OR per 1 standard deviation: 1.79, 95% CI 1.23–2.60), a finding that persisted in multivariable analysis. There was indicative evidence that higher BMI and current smoking were associated with higher odds, whereas physical activity and smoking cessation were associated with lower odds. No causal association was observed for alcohol, coffee consumption, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, sleep duration, or education level. Although the individual associations for BMI, current smoking, physical activity, and smoking cessation were only indicative in the results, the authors interpret the overall MR evidence as identifying current smoking status and BMI as causal risk factors and smoking cessation as a protective factor for blepharoptosis, suggesting that these modifiable risk factors are crucial targets for prevention.

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The work titled “Causal Association Between Lifestyle Behavior and Potential Risk Factors With Blepharoptosis”, was published on Eye & ENT Research (published on July 6, 2026).