15 Feb 2023 • Dilating eyedrops may delay ― and perhaps even prevent ― the onset of myopia in children, according to findings from a study published in JAMA. In 2020, Dr. Jason Yam and colleagues reported results of the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study, which showed that eyedrops containing a solution of 0.05% atropine worked best at slowing the progression of myopia in 4- to 12-year-olds who already had the condition. Atropine relaxes eye muscles, causing dilation.

The new study enrolled 474 children who were evenly divided by sex. None of the children had myopia when the trial began. Of that starting group, 353 children (age, 4 – 9 years) completed the study, which involved receiving eyedrops once nightly in both eyes for 2 years.

In this randomized clinical trial that included 474 children aged 4 to 9 years without myopia, nightly use of 0.05% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo eyedrops resulted in a 2-year cumulative incidence of myopia of 28.4%, 45.9%, and 53.0%, respectively. The difference between 0.05% atropine and placebo was statistically significant.

The main adverse event, in all treatment groups, was discomfort when exposed to bright light, according to the researchers. Source: Medscape | Read full story