Why Explore Red Light Therapy For Myopia Control?
Childhood myopia is becoming more common worldwide, and traditional options such as glasses, contact lenses and some eye drops do not work equally well for every child. This trial evaluated whether red light therapy for myopia control could slow eye growth and reduce the progression of nearsightedness in children, while remaining safe and easy to use at home.
The therapy used in this study is called repeated low level red light, or RLRL. Children look into a desktop device that emits gentle red light at a specific wavelength and brightness for a few minutes per session.
Inside The Study: How The Trial Was Designed
This multicenter, randomized, single blind clinical trial included 264 children between 8 and 13 years old who had myopia between -1.00 and -5.00 diopters, with limited astigmatism and good best corrected vision.
Participants were assigned to one of two groups:
- RLRL group that used the red light therapy device plus single vision spectacles
- Control group that wore single vision spectacles only
The RLRL device emitted 650 nanometer red light at a controlled power and illuminance. Children in the treatment group used it at home for three minutes per session, twice a day, at least four hours apart, five days per week.
Researchers followed both groups for 12 months, measuring axial length and spherical equivalent refraction at several visits. These measures show how quickly the eye is elongating and how fast myopia is progressing.
Key Findings: Slower Eye Growth And Less Myopia Progression
Of the 264 enrolled children, 246 completed at least one follow up and were included in the analysis. After 12 months:
- The RLRL group had an average axial elongation of 0.13 millimeters and myopia progression of -0.20 diopters
- The glasses only group had an average axial elongation of 0.38 millimeters and myopia progression of -0.79 diopters
- The differences between groups were 0.26 millimeters less eye growth and 0.59 diopters less myopia progression in favor of red light therapy
Importantly, there were no severe adverse events such as sudden vision loss, new scotomas or structural damage on OCT, and no decline in best corrected visual acuity was observed.
What This Means For Myopia Management In Children
This trial suggests that repeated low level red light therapy is a promising alternative option for myopia control in children. It slowed both axial elongation and refractive progression over 12 months, while showing good user acceptability and no documented functional or structural harm in the study.
Even so, red light therapy for myopia control should be viewed as an emerging tool within a broader myopia management strategy, which still relies on regular eye exams and individualized guidance from an eye care professional. Longer term follow up and additional studies will help clarify how durable these benefits are and which children are most likely to respond.
Check out the article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34863776/
