Special aspherical glasses slow down childhood myopia progression, two-year trial finds
The number of people who need prescription glasses to correct their vision is increasing each year as nearsightedness, or myopia, becomes more common worldwide. Current projections suggest cases could reach 50% by 2050, affecting nearly 5 billion people.
A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology has found that special aspherical glasses can slow down the progression of childhood myopia, also known as nearsightedness. The two-year randomized clinical trial involved 159 children aged 6 to 12 from nine investigation sites across the U.S. The participants were given either special lenses called Highly Aspherical Lenslet (HAL) or standard single-vision lenses (SVL).
The HAL lenses, which combine a single-vision zone for refractive error correction and a myopia-control zone made up of 11 contiguous HAL rings, showed significant benefits compared to the SVL group. The children wearing HAL glasses experienced a reduction in myopia progression of more than 70%, compared to a 90% increase in the SVL group.
The axial elongation, or lengthening of the eye, was also reduced by 53% in the HAL group, as opposed to the 45% elongation in the SVL group. The HAL glasses were found to be safe, comfortable, and just as effective in correcting vision as regular glasses. The study suggests that these special lenses could be a valuable treatment for reducing myopia progression in U.S. children and potentially long-term eye health into adulthood.
However, more long-term data is needed to determine the sustained effects of the treatment and its impact on adult vision-threatening diseases.
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