For a study, researchers sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) therapy in treating myopia in children. In July and August 2019, 264 eligible children aged 8 to 13 with cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of –1.00 to –5.00 diopters (D), astigmatism of 2.50 D or less, anisometropia of 1.50 D or less, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 0.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution or more were enrolled. The follow-up was finished in September 2020. The intervention group (RLRL therapy + single-vision spectacle [SVS]) and the control group were allocated at random to the children (SVS). The RLRL treatment was administered at home under parental supervision for 3 minutes per session, twice daily with a minimum interval of 4 hours, 5 days per week, using a desktop light therapy device that emits red light of 650-nm wavelength at an illuminance level of approximately 1,600 lux and a power of 0.29 mW for a 4-mm pupil (class I classification). Changes in axial length and SER were assessed at baseline and 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits. A longitudinal mixed model assessed treatment efficacy among participants who had at least one post-randomization follow-up visit.
The analysis comprised 246 children (93.2%) of the 264 randomized participants (117 in the RLRL group and 129 in the SVS group). The adjusted 12-month axial elongation and SER progression for RLRL therapy were 0.13 mm (95% CI, 0.09–0.17mm) and –0.20 D (95% CI, –0.29 to –0.11D) and 0.38 mm (95% CI, 0.34–0.42 mm) and –0.79 D (95% CI, –0.88 to –0.69 D) for SVS treatment. The axial elongation and SER progression differences between the RLRL and SVS groups were 0.26 mm (95% CI, 0.20–0.31 mm) and –0.59D (95% CI, –0.72 to –0.46 D), respectively. There were no serious adverse events (sudden vision loss of 2 lines or scotoma), functional visual loss indicated by BCVA, or structural damage shown on OCT scans. With strong user acceptance and no reported functional or structural harm, repeated low-level red-light therapy was a viable alternative treatment for myopia management in children.
Reference:www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(21)00916-7/fulltext
