May 5, 2026
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2026 Annual Meeting is being held in Denver, Colorado, from May 3-7, 2026.
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 two of ARVO (Monday, May 4, 2026).
Spectacles
Raul Duarte-Toledo, Arturo Vicente-Jaen, Marta Duvison, Emmanuel Kobia-Acquah, Coralie Barrau, Pablo Artal
Highly Aspherical Lenslets (HAL) effectively slow myopia progression in children. Separately, new-generation light-adaptive lenses have demonstrated faster optical recovery under transient light changes compared to static clear lenses and earlier photochromic technologies. This study evaluates dynamic contrast sensitivity recovery under transient light conditions, in both central and peripheral gaze, using a Photochromic HAL (PHAL) lens, compared with equivalent non-photochromic HAL lenses and with non-HAL blue photochromic lenses.
The new photochromic HAL lenses demonstrated significantly faster contrast-sensitivity recovery than standard HAL lenses—both centrally and peripherally—following bright-light exposure. These results suggest that PHAL lenses may offer advantageous visual performance under dynamic lighting conditions while simultaneously being effective for myopia control with HAL technology.
Contact Lenses
Tania Mara Schaefer, BRUCE KOFFLER, Fernando Cesar Abib
Orthokeratology is a temporary corneal refractive therapy (CRT) involving overnight CL wear. It provides freedom from glasses or conventional CL during the day, offering greater possibilities for sports, work, or leisure activities. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the first selection of parameters for the Initial Lens Selector of Paragon CRT® 100 CL and the number of changes in necessary cases, with the calculations of Central Curve Base, Reverse Zone, and Landing Zone.
The Lens Selector of CRT CL for Temporary Myopia Therapy (Ortho-K) was effective in the first selection in approximately 80% of cases. In the remaining 20%, a parameter correction was necessary, RZ being the most altered parameter. CL changes occurred in both eyes of these 3 patients.
The Safety of Soft Contact Lens Wear in Children – A Systematic Review
Augustine Nyarko Nti, Xu Cheng, Jie Xu, Nicole L. Franklin, Alex Nixon, Katherine Booth, Jennifer Hunsader, Emily Hester-Hotte, Mark A. Bullimore
Given the growing use of soft contact lenses (SCLs) for myopia control in children, understanding associated safety risks is critical. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize published evidence on the incidence of microbial keratitis (MK) and corneal infiltrative events (CIEs) associated with pediatric SCL wear.
The incidence of MK and CIEs in children wearing SCLs appears low, with even lower CIE rates in those ≤12 years, the primary target age range for myopia control. Compared to adults, pediatric rates seem similar for MK and lower for CIEs. These findings support the potential use of SCLs in children.
Jesús Carballo, Alicia Ruiz-Pomeda, Sergio Díaz-Gómez, Mercedes Burgos-Martínez, Elena Durán Prieto, Monica Velasco-De La Fuente
To evaluate and compare visual function and participants subjective perception with two soft myopia management contact lenses–an extended depth of focus (EDOF) and a dual focus (DF) design–and single-vision spectacles (SVS) under different luminance and contrast conditions
Both CL designs reduced visual function compared to SVS, particularly under mesopic conditions. Subjective assessments indicated superior visual quality with the EDOF design compared to DF.
Myopia Risk Factors
Outdoor Artificial Light at Night Exposure and Risk of Myopia: The Hong Kong Children Eye Study
Jason Yam, Yingan Li, Yuzhou Zhang, Ka Wai Kam, Clement C. Tham, Calvin C P Pang, Li Jia Chen
Outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) has emerged as a significant source of environmental pollution, yet epidemiological evidence on its impact in childhood myopia development remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between outdoor ALAN exposure and myopia development.
Outdoor ALAN exposure is positively associated with childhood myopia development, identifying it as a modifiable environmental risk factor to target in future prevention strategies.
Myopia Screening
Finding the optimal cut-off value for defining pre-myopia in Chinese Children
Xiaotong Han, Jiaqing Zhang, Yangfa Zeng, Xiaohu Ding
Previous studies define pre-myopia as a refractive state between -0.5D to +0.75D, which was based on the CLEERE study in North American children. We aimed to determine the most appropriate definition of pre-myopia in Chinese children.
Our findings suggest that 1.0D may be a more appropriate cut-off value for defining pre-myopia in Chinese children. Future research is encouraged to refine the definition of pre-myopia in different populations.
Wei Pan, Weizhong Lan
To assess regional differences in hyperopic reserve among European, Australian, and Asian children; to compare rates of hyperopic reserve consumption over time; and to evaluate the performance of myopia screening programs in these regions.
Asian children demonstrated substantially lower hyperopic reserve and faster consumption rates compared with their European and Australian peers, placing them at higher risk for early-onset myopia. Non-cycloplegic myopia screening showed low sensitivity but high specificity in European and Australian children, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in Asian populations. Across all regions, routine monitoring of hyperopic reserve is essential for identifying children at elevated risk and for informing timely, region-appropriate myopia prevention strategies.
Catch up on day one ARVO research highlights here
