Evidence for slowing myopia progression reviewed

Treatments to slow the progression of myopia such as atropine eye drops, spectacles and contact lenses have been assessed in a Cochrane review.

In the Interventions to slow progression of nearsightedness in children report, researchers looked at 41 studies that included a total of 6,772 children.

Researchers assessed how certain the evidence was for each review and graded them as very low, low, moderate, or high certainty.

Eye drops, in particular antimuscarinic drugs such as atropine, pirenzepine gel, and cyclopentolate were graded as having moderate certainty evidence, with authors highlighting that the treatment is effective in slowing myopia progression in children.