Study questions efficacy of myopia interventions

An analysis of data from more than 100 studies and 17,000 children has questioned the effectiveness of myopia management interventions across medicine, light therapy, ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses.

The review, published in the Cochrane Library, sought to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of myopia management interventions and generate a relative ranking. Most studies were conducted in China or other Asian countries (66.3%), and North America (14.4%).

Based on short-term studies, orthokeratology was the most effective optical treatment for slowing elongation of the eyeball, but researchers noted the lenses were often poorly tolerated and some studies found more than half of the children did not complete the treatment.