Industry News
Study Shows Red Light Therapy May Help Control Myopia Progression
In a significant development for vision care, researchers have found that repeated low-level red light exposure (RLRL) could help slow the progression of myopia, a condition on the rise globally, especially in children. The study, recently published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, involved 292 children, aged 6 to 12, suffering from high myopia (short-sightedness). Participants in the trial who were exposed to red light therapy over 12 months demonstrated reduced eye elongation and better refractive outcomes than those who did not receive the treatment.
RLRL therapy works by exposing the eye to low-level red light at a wavelength of 650 nm twice daily for a few minutes, making it a potentially non-invasive and practical approach to controlling myopia in children. Current treatments for myopia, including prescription lenses, atropine drops, or orthokeratology lenses, are often limited in efficacy and patient compliance, but this new method could be more easily adopted as a long-term management tool.
The implications of this study are especially important in regions like East Asia, where myopia rates are increasing at an alarming pace, affecting as many as 80% of young adults. If red light therapy proves to be widely effective, it could significantly reduce the burden of myopia-related complications, including retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma, in future generations.
Additionally, the study highlighted that RLRL was well-tolerated, with no significant side effects reported among participants, making it a promising, child-friendly option for controlling myopia progression. However, experts also caution that further long-term studies are needed to assess the sustainability of these results and whether red light exposure could be safely integrated into standard ophthalmic care.
This finding presents an exciting opportunity for ophthalmologists, optometrists, and vision care businesses to explore innovative ways to manage myopia, offering a new treatment option that could enhance patient outcomes and potentially expand service offerings in clinical settings.
