Decrease in Rate of Myopia Progression with a Contact Lens Designed to Reduce Relative Peripheral Hyperopia: One-Year Results

Purpose.: To determine whether a novel optical treatment using contact lenses to reduce relative peripheral hyperopia can slow the rate of progress of myopia. Methods.: Chinese children, aged 7 to 14 years, with baseline myopia from sphere −0.75 to −3.50 D and cylinder ≤1.00 D, were fitted with novel contact lenses (n = 45) and followed up for 12 months, and their progress was compared with that of a group (n = 40) matched for age, sex, refractive error, axial length, and parental myopia wearing normal, single-vision, spherocylindrical spectacles. Results.: On adjusting for parental myopia, sex, age, baseline spherical equivalent (SphE) values, and compliance, the estimated progression in SphE at 12 months was 34% less, at −0.57 D, with the novel contact lenses (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.45 −0.69 D) than at −0.86 D, with spectacle lenses (95% CI, −0.74 to −0.99 D). For an average baseline age of 11.2 years, baseline SphE of −2.10 D, a baseline axial length of 24.6 mm, and 320 days of compliant lens wear, the estimated increase in axial length (AL) was 33% less at 0.27 mm (95% CI, 0.22–0.32 mm) than at 0.40 mm (95% CI, 0.35–0.45 mm) for the contact lens and spectacle lens groups, respectively. Conclusions.: The 12-month data support the hypothesis that reducing peripheral hyperopia can alter central refractive development and reduce the rate of progress of myopia. (chictr.org number, chiCTR-TRC-00000029 or chiCTR-TRC-00000032.)