News & Updates

ATOM 10 and 20 Year Data Released

Topical Atropine for Childhood Myopia ControlThe Atropine Treatment Long-Term Assessment Study

Yong Li, MD1,2; Michelle Yip, MD1; Yilin Ning, PhD2; et al

Question: What long-term outcomes were noted in adulthood among individuals receiving atropine during childhood for myopia?

Findings: Among approximately one-quarter of the original cohort who received childhood atropine treatment (0.01% to 1.0%) for myopia control (2 to 4 years duration), there were no identified differences in final refractive errors. There was no association with increased incidence of treatment or myopia-related ocular complications in 1% atropine-treated vs placebo groups.

Meaning: Long-term follow-up of a minority of participants who received atropine for a limited duration during childhood did not affect final refractive errors or incidence of ocular complications in adulthood.

Article: JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online November 30, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2023.5467

"New" Myopia Treatment: Is Red Light The Answer? Let's First Ask if it is Safe.

Repeated Low-level Red-light Therapy: The Next Wave in Myopia Management?

Salzano, Aaron D. OD, FAAO, et. al. Optometry and Vision Science

October 23, 2023

Question: Exposure to long-wavelength light has been proposed as a potential intervention to slow myopia progression in children. This article provides an evidence-based review of the safety and myopia control efficacy of red light and discusses the potential mechanisms by which red light may work to slow childhood myopia progression.

Background: The spectral composition of the ambient light in the visual environment has powerful effects on eye growth and refractive development. Studies in mammalian and primate animal models (macaque monkeys and tree shrews) have shown that daily exposure to long wavelength (red or amber) light promotes slower eye growth and hyperopia development and inhibits myopia induced by form deprivation or minus lens wear. Consistent with these results, several recent randomized controlled clinical trials in Chinese children have demonstrated that exposure to red light for three minutes twice a day significantly reduces myopia progression and axial elongation. These findings have collectively provided strong evidence for the potential of using red light as a myopia control intervention in clinical practice. However, several questions remain unanswered. In this article, we review the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of red light as a myopia control intervention, describe potential mechanisms, and discuss some key unresolved issues that require consideration before red light can be broadly translated into myopia control in children.

Article: DOI: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002083