This retrospective study assessed the relationship between baseline axial length and subsequent elongation for myopes wearing orthokeratology lenses. The results showed axial elongation was slower over two years for younger children with longer baseline axial lengths. This may help in approaches to optimizing myopia control.
Johnson & Johnson Vision’s intent to lead with science was on full show at the recent ARVO at New Orleans. We look at 5 abstracts they presented, providing you summaries and the abstracts on topics such as efficacy in myopia control, myopia calculators and subjective vision outcomes for children and teens in soft contact lens designs for myopia.
This study created percentile charts for axial length and axial length to corneal radius of curvature (AL/CR) ratio for Chinese children and found age and gender-specific differences in the data. The AL/CR ratio was found to be a more accurate predictor of myopia than axial length alone.
This retrospective study from Ireland found that despite recent increases in practitioners fitting myopia control contact lenses in Ireland, more than 60% of children were still managed with single vision correction only. Improving the prescribing rates of evidence-based myopia control treatments will ensure progressing myopes are less likely to miss appropriate intervention opportunities.
This study found the risk of microbial keratitis for children fitted with contact lenses for myopia control was less than the risk of visual impairment from myopia progression to over 3D or axial lengths exceeding 26mm. If worn throughout childhood, the extra benefits of myopia control contact lenses outweigh the risks of infection, especially if the lenses are daily disposable.
Previous studies have explored a link between choroidal thickness measures and myopia development. This longitudinal study found that although having thinner choroid layers at age 11 were not associated with adolescent myopia or eye length growth, having a longer axial length was predictive of future myopia development and progression.
Chinese children aged 6-9 years who had bedtimes later than 9:30pm showed a 1.55 fold risk of myopia compared to those with a pre-9pm bedtime, and were also more likely to have myopic parents, wake up later and spend more time reading or on screens than outdoors in a week. There was no relationship found between sleep duration and myopia.
This Singapore study found that 10-12% of ALL adult myopes aged 40-80 years – not just high myopes – suffered either onset or progression of MMD over 12 years. Risk factors included each additional year of age and 1mm of axial length. The most significant predictive sign was tesselated fundus.
Analysis of the BLINK study results showed a global more than localized impact on slowing eye growth in +2.50 CD multifocal contact lens wear. The slowed growth effects were greater centrally than peripherally. This suggests local defocus responses may not provide the full story behind myopia control mechanisms.
By using a wearable device to objectively monitor visual behaviour, this study found progression in young myopic children was correlated with less time outdoors, more time working at near for online learning and less time spent wearing their glasses.
