An intervention trial on efficacy of atropine and multi‐focal glasses in controlling myopic progression

ABSTRACT. Purpose: This randomized clinical trial assessed the treatment effects of atropine and/or multi‐focal lenses in decreasing the progression rate of myopia in children. Methods: Two hundred and twenty‐seven schoolchildren with myopia, aged from 6 to 13 years, who were stratified based on gender, age and the initial amount of myopia were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: 0.5% atropine with multi‐focal glasses, multi‐focal glasses, and single vision spectacles. Each subject was followed for at least eighteen months. These results report on the 188 patients available for the follow‐up. Results: The mean progression of myopia in atropine with multi‐focal glasses group (0.41 D) was significantly less than the multi‐focal (1.19 D) and single vision group (1.40 D) (p<0.0001). But no significant difference was noted between the last two groups (p=0.44). The progression of myopia was significantly correlated with the increases of axial length (r=0.65, p=0.0001), but not with the changes of corneal power (r=−0.09), anterior chamber depth (r=−0.023), lens thickness (r=−0.08), or intra‐ocular pressure (r=−0.008). Conclusion: The 0.5% atropine with multi‐focal lenses can slow down the progression rate of myopia. However, multi‐focal lenses alone showed no difference in effect compared to control.