“Multifocal contact lenses not only correct myopia, but also slow down myopia progression and eye growth”… “It is much more effective in preventing high myopia than single-vision glasses or lenses.”
A study has shown that if myopic children wear multifocal contact lenses as early as possible, they can not only correct the myopia itself but also effectively slow down the progression of myopia and the ‘eye growth rate’. A research team at the University of Houston School of Medicine in the United States announced that this was the result of clinical trials conducted on 200 myopic children for more than 5 years. In particular, one year after discontinuing multifocal contact lens (soft) treatment for high myopia, the rate of myopia progression returned to normal, and the treatment effect did not decrease.
According to the research team, during the growth period, the growth rate of the eyes, that is, the rate at which the eyeball length (axial length) lengthens front to back, also increases, increasing the likelihood of developing high myopia. As the eyeball becomes longer, the optic nerve is stretched and becomes thinner, which can cause vision-threatening eye diseases such as retinal detachment and glaucoma. Therefore, slowing down the progression of myopia and eye growth can very effectively prevent high myopia. Among the world’s 8.1 billion people, myopia is estimated to be about 2.6 billion, and is expected to increase to 5 billion by 2050.
Professor David Bernson (ophthalmology), the first author of the study, said, “If myopic children wear multifocal contact lenses early on, the rate of myopia progression and eye growth can be slowed down. In particular, the myopia treatment effect is effective even if the lenses are removed after treatment. “It will continue,” he emphasized.
“During the growth period, the eyeballs become longer front to back, which increases the risk of high myopia… “Multifocus prevents this.”
There was concern that if people stopped wearing contact lenses to control myopia, their eye length would grow faster than normal. However, long-term studies have shown that even when older adolescents stop wearing contact lenses, their eye growth returns to normal age-appropriate growth rates. Myopia occurs when the length of the eyeball becomes too long front to back. The image of an object is focused on a point in front of the retina rather than directly on the retina at the back of the eye. Patients with myopia have difficulty seeing distant objects.
According to the research team, wearing single-vision glasses and single-vision contact lenses helps correct myopia, but does not slow down eye growth. In comparison, wearing multifocal contact lenses (soft) can correct myopia and slow down both myopia progression and eye growth. Multifocal contact lenses are designed like a target to effectively focus light.
The research team randomly assigned 294 myopic children aged 7 to 11 who participated in the ‘Bifocal Lenses for Myopic Children (BLINK) Study’ to wear single-focal or multifocal lenses for high or moderate myopia. Participants wore contact lenses as often as possible per day for 3 years and received treatment at a university hospital clinic. Among the participants, myopic children in the multifocal lens group for high myopia showed a much slower rate of myopia progression and eye (eyeball length) growth compared to myopic children in the single-focal lens group.
atropine eye drops·Corneal correction lenses have therapeutic effects… If treatment is stopped, eye growth speeds up.
In the additional study (BLINK2), approximately 83% (248 people) of the original study participants continued to participate for two years. These participants wore multifocal lenses for high myopia, and single vision lenses for the third year. As a result, after stopping wearing multifocal lenses, the eye growth rate only increased slightly to 0.03 mm/year in all age groups. This is at the same level as the average growth rate of the eye. In particular, it was analyzed that the treatment effect is higher if multifocal contact lenses for high myopia are worn early. The research team continued to follow up on these children and confirmed that the effects persisted even if the lenses were no longer used after treatment.
Meanwhile, myopia treatments such as atropine eye drops and cutting-edge corneal correction lenses were effective, but after stopping treatment, they showed a ‘rebound effect’ in which the eye grew faster than normal. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Ohio State University also participated in this study.
The results of this study (Axial Growth and Myopia Progression After Discontinuing Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Wear) were published in the Journal of Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association (JAMA Ophthalmology).
Source: kormedi.com
