Repeated low-level red-light therapy: a novel method for myopia prevention and control
10.3760/cma.j.cn115989-20220127-00031
- VernacularTitle:关注低强度红光重复照射对近视进展防控的新方法
- Author:
Zhuoting ZHU
1
;
Mingguang HE
Author Information
1. 中山大学中山眼科中心 眼科学国家重点实验室，广州 510060
- Keywords:
Myopia/therapy;
Disease progression;
Prevention and control;
Low-level red-light therapy;
School-age children
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology
2022;40(6):487-490
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
China has recently proposed a countrywide myopia control strategy for children and adolescents due to the rapidly increasing incidence and early onset of myopia.Recent studies have proposed interventions and methods for myopia prevention and control, such as low-dose atropine and orthokeratology lens, while the current strategies are subject to cause inconvenience and ineligible risks of side effects.Although accumulating evidence has shown that increased time outdoors is effective in reducing the risk of myopia development, its effect is closely related to light exposure.Interventions to enhance time spent outdoors or further increase on light exposure to prevent myopia are pragmatically challenging.A multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) led by Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, adopted repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) to deliver light on the retina directly for a much shorter duration of exposure but repeatedly, and further assessed the efficacy and safety of RLRL therapy in myopia control among children.Findings from the RCT showed promising efficacy of RLRL therapy in slowing myopia progression among school-age children with mild to moderate myopia, providing high-level evidence for RLRL therapy as a safe and efficacious strategy for reducing myopia progression.This paper summarized the findings from the RCT, discussed how to adopt such a treatment for myopia control in clinical practice, and further suggested eye care service providers to follow the research progress of RLRL therapy for myopia prevention and control.
