Abstract
To determine the effect of low-intensity, long-wavelength red light therapy (LLRT) on the inhibition of myopia progression in children. A retrospective study was conducted. One hundred and five myopic children (spherical equivalent refractive error [SER] -3.09±1.74 dioptres [D]; mean age, 9.19±2.40years) who underwent LLRT treatment (power 0.4mW, wavelength 635nm) twice per day for 3min each session, with at least a 4-h interval between sessions, and a control group of 56myopic children (SER -3.04±1.66D; mean age, 8.62±2.45years) were evaluated. Both groups wore single-vision distance spectacles. Each child returned for a follow-up examination every 3months after the initial measurements for a total of 9months. At 9months, the mean SER in the LLRT group was -2.87±1.89D, significantly greater than that of the control group (-3.57±1.49D, p<0.001). Axial length (AL) changes were -0.06±0.19mm and 0.26±0.15mm in the LLRT group and control group (p<0.001), respectively. The subfoveal choroidal thickness changed by 45.32±30.88μm for children treated with LLRT at the 9-month examination (p<0.001). Specifically, a substantial hyperopic shift (0.31±0.24D and 0.20±0.14D, respectively, p=0.02) was found in the 8-14year olds compared with 4-7year old children. The decrease in AL in subjects with baseline AL >24mm was -0.08±0.19mm, significantly greater than those with a baseline AL ≤24mm (-0.04±0.18mm, p=0.03). Repetitive exposure to LLRT therapy was associated with slower myopia progression and reduced axial growth after short durations of treatment. These results require further validation in randomised controlled trials.
Highlights
Myopia, a refractive condition associated with visual impairment and vision loss, is the most common eye disorder worldwide.[1,2,3] In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents has been dramatically increasing; the onset age has decreased, while the severity of myopia has rapidly increased.[4,5] It is estimated that by 2050, 49.8% of the global population will have myopia, and 9.8% will have high myopia.[1]
Some novel findings have supported that the differences in the spectral composition of lighting in indoor and outdoor environments may contribute to the higher prevalence of myopia in children who spend less time outdoors.[13]
The chromaticity signals from longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA) can promote the normal rate of eye growth and development of ocular refraction,[31] which may help to explain why outdoor activity has a protective effect against myopia and to highlight the possible effects of artificial light in the increasing prevalence of childhood myopia
Summary
A refractive condition associated with visual impairment and vision loss, is the most common eye disorder worldwide.[1,2,3] In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents has been dramatically increasing; the onset age has decreased, while the severity of myopia has rapidly increased.[4,5] It is estimated that by 2050, 49.8% of the global population will have myopia, and 9.8% will have high myopia.[1]. Young adults can wear orthokeratology (OK) contact lenses or take the muscarinic antagonist atropine in hospital-based interventions, which have had only limited success, low-dose atropine eyedrops have shown promise.[6,7,8,9] The long-term use of atropine is associated with side effects such as photophobia, rebound myopia and drug resistance. In this context, exploring new methods to prevent and control myopia in young people has become a top priority. We focused on low-intensity, long-wavelength red light therapy as a new method to help restrict the progression of myopia by stimulating longer-wavelengthsensitive (LWS) cones,[10] improving mitochondrial complex activity,[11] producing slower axial elongation and preventing the normal decrease in refraction.[12,13,14,15,16]
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