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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2025 Annual Meeting is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from May 4-8, 2025. Myopia management is one of the most popular research topics at the event, with many leaders in the industry sharing their myopia-related findings. While the meeting featured hundreds of presentations and posters on myopia management, Review of Myopia Management will be highlighting several noteworthy research findings throughout the event.
Here are some of the research highlights from day three of ARVO.
Spectacles
A real-world study on myopia control with different myopic defocused spectacle lenses
Qi Yao, Xiaoqin Chen, Shaocun Huang, Lihua Li
This prospective cohort study evaluated the myopia control efficacy of three types of spectacle lenses — Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS), Peripheral Defocus Lens (PDL), and Single Vision Lens (SVL) — in children aged 6 to 13 years at Tianjin Eye Hospital, China. A total of 446 myopic children completed a one-year follow-up, with 75 wearing SVL, 167 wearing PDL and 204 wearing DIMS. Baseline characteristics, including age, spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) were similar across groups. After one year, the SVL group showed mean changes of -0.69 ± 0.06D in SER and 0.35 ± 0.02 mm in AL. In comparison, DIMS lenses demonstrated a 37% improvement in myopia control (0.26D difference in SER) and a 40% improvement in AL (0.14 mm difference) over SVL (both p < 0.01). Additionally, DIMS lenses outperformed PDL in myopia control, with significant differences in both SER (0.14 D, p < 0.01) and AL (0.09 mm, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between SVL and PDL. These findings suggest that DIMS lenses are more effective than PDL in controlling myopia progression in children, providing valuable insights for eye care professionals in selecting appropriate treatment options.
Comparison of Myopia Progression in Individuals Wearing Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lenses for Eight Years versus Shorter Durations
Tsz Wing Leung, Carly S Y Lam, Han Yu Zhang, Mui Yee Kwok, Kenneth Liu, Fangyu Xu, Ka Mei To, Natalia Vlasak
This study evaluates the long-term effectiveness of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses in controlling myopia over an eight-year period. The analysis included 67 participants, with 11 wearing DIMS lenses for the full eight years and 55 wearing them for shorter durations. Due to small group sizes, participants were categorized into two groups: those using DIMS for eight years and those using them for less than eight years. Results indicated that participants who wore DIMS lenses for eight years experienced a mean myopia progression of -0.44 ± 0.64D and axial elongation of 0.46 ± 0.64 mm. In contrast, those with less than eight years of use showed a mean myopia progression of -1.44 ± 1.31D and axial elongation of 0.88 ± 0.56 mm. Statistically significant reductions were observed in the eight-year group, with a decrease in myopia progression by 1.00 ± 0.41D (p=0.017) and axial elongation by 0.42 ± 0.18 mm (p=0.019) compared to the shorter-duration group. These findings underscore the importance of long-term DIMS lens usage in effectively managing myopia progression, providing valuable insights for eye care professionals in recommending treatment plans.
Control of myopia using contrast modulation spectacle lenses in a Chinese population: 12-month results
Deborah Laughton, Jennifer S. Hill, Lucill Wang, Marcella McParland, Zhi Chen
This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses in slowing myopia progression in Chinese children, building on previous findings from a North American trial. Conducted as a 24-month randomized controlled trial across five hospital sites in China, the research involved myopic children aged 6–13 years, comparing DOT lenses to standard single vision lenses. The primary endpoints were changes in axial length (AL) and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (cSER) from baseline. A total of 195 participants were enrolled, with 186 completing the 12-month visit. The baseline average AL and cSER were 24.45 mm and -2.27D, respectively. For DOT wearers, the mean changes at 12 months were not significant, with AL showing a change of 0.09 mm (p=0.34) and cSER -0.17D (p=0.13). In contrast, the control group exhibited significant changes: AL increased by 0.35 mm (p=0.03) and cSER decreased by -0.64 D (p<0.0001). The difference in AL progression between DOT and control was significant, showing a 74% reduction, while cSER progression showed a 75% reduction. These findings confirm the effectiveness of DOT lenses in managing myopia in diverse populations, providing valuable insights for eye care professionals.
Low-Dose Atropine
Methods and baseline of a large, multicenter, phase 3 study with low-dose atropine (SYD-101) for the treatment of myopia progression in over 800 children (STAR Study)
Patrick Johnson, Ken Widder, Janet Cheetham, Laura Kirkeby
The STAR study evaluates the efficacy and safety of SYD-101, a low-dose atropine solution developed by Sydnexis, in slowing myopic progression in children aged 3-14 years with myopia ranging from -0.50 to -6.00 diopters (D). This multicenter, randomized, double-masked, vehicle-controlled trial involved 847 participants, who were assigned to receive either SYD-101 at doses of 0.01% or 0.03%, or a vehicle solution, with no enrollment caps based on age or spherical equivalent (SE). Participants received nightly dosing in both eyes and attended follow-up visits at multiple intervals up to 36 months, with an additional follow-up until 48 months to assess potential myopia rebound after treatment cessation. Key efficacy endpoints included the proportion of participants with myopic progression worse than -0.75D and the mean annual progression rate of myopia, analyzed with a significance level of alpha = 0.05. The study’s findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of SYD-101 in a diverse population, addressing variability in outcomes associated with low-dose atropine. This research represents the largest well-controlled clinical trial of low-dose atropine to date, offering important implications for eye care professionals in managing myopia in children.
