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Myopia Control:
A practical and evidence-
based optical approach
By Nick Dash
In recent years, there has been an avalanche of
information about the so called ‘epidemic of myopia’.
The prevalence of myopia in school children and
young adults is rising around the world. In Asia,
the increase is believed to be 70–87% whilst in
America and Europe it is between 20–50% 1,2 . This is
matched with an earlier onset of myopia in the last
two generations 2 and is naturally associated with
higher degrees of myopia in later life, increasing the
risk factor for several ocular pathologies including
glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment, and myopic
maculopathy brought about by the accompanying
elongation of the eye 2 . Even low myopes (-1.00D)
have a greater lifelong likelihood of eye disease than
non-myopes and the higher the myopia, the higher
the risk becomes 3 .
Much of the research published around myopia control
is based on the use of optical devices. This seems logical.
These patients require some form of optical correction and
so it seems intuitive to prescribe a device which corrects the
refractive error at the same time as limiting the mechanisms
believed to cause myopic progression. The emphasis of this
article will be to discuss the optical methods of myopia control
and the issues surrounding how best to prescribe and follow
up optical corrections for myopic children.
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etCETera | January 2017