Keddy Shore- Department of Ophthalmology
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is increasing dramatically worldwide, with prevalence projected to rise from 23% to over 50% between 2000 and 2050. With this rapid growth, safe and effective treatments to slow progression are urgently needed.
New studies show that low-level red light (RLRL) therapy effectively slows myopia progression and axial elongation in children. The study involved 112 Chinese children ages 7-12 with myopia, who were randomly assigned to receive either true red light therapy or a sham treatment for 6 months. Children in the intervention group received RLRL therapy, and those in the sham device control group received sham light therapy, both at a treatment schedule of 3 minutes per session, twice daily, with an interval between sessions of at least 4 hours. The RLRL group received a desktop red-light therapy device that has been widely used for amblyopia treatment in China over the past few decades. The sham device control group received the same device but with only 10% of the original device’s power. The light power entering the pupil is at a level considered safe for direct ocular exposure.
After 6 months, children who received red light therapy showed significantly less myopia progression (0.06 ± 0.30 diopters) compared to those receiving sham treatment (–0.11 ± 0.33 diopters). Red light therapy also slowed axial elongation of children's eyes (0.02 ± 0.11 mm) versus sham treatment (0.13 ± 0.10 mm). Additionally, no adverse effects were observed.
While further research is warranted, this clinical trial provides compelling evidence that simple, non-invasive, and daily red light therapy can effectively slow the progression of myopia in the eyes of children. These results highlight the potential of this treatment as a much-needed new tool to combat the growing epidemic of pediatric myopia worldwide.
References:
Dong, J., Zhu, Z., Xu, H., & He, M. (2023). Myopia Control Effect of Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy in Chinese Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial. Ophthalmology, 130(2), 198–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.08.024
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