Epidemiology and burden of mild/moderate versus high myopia in Germany: A claims data analysis

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs of myopia in Germany, comparing mild/moderate and high myopia across various age groups using real-world data. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the WIG2 benchmark database. Patients with a diagnosis of myopia (ICD-10-GM H52.1) were categorized into mild/moderate or high myopia. The study population was stratified into preschool (0-5 years), primary school (6-9 years), secondary school (10-17 years), adult (18-59 years), elderly (60-75 years) and very old (>75 years) age groups. Prevalence trends were evaluated across paediatric and adolescent subpopulations. Propensity score matching was applied to balance group differences. HCRU and associated costs were analysed for each cohort. RESULTS: Between 2018 and 2022, mild/moderate myopia consistently exhibited higher prevalence across all age groups compared to high myopia. Prevalence of both myopia types increased significantly with age, particularly in females, with mild/moderate myopia reaching 19.86% (95% CI 19.08-20.66) at age 17, compared to 14.00% (95% CI 13.37-14.67) in males. In 2022, individuals with high myopia had significantly higher ophthalmic HCRU and associated costs compared to those with mild/moderate myopia. The economic burden was notably higher in older age groups, with increased hospitalizations and outpatient visits. High myopia incurred higher costs across all age groups, with the largest difference in the very old cohort (€234.20). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the significant clinical and economic burden of high myopia in Germany. Targeted interventions are needed to manage myopia progression and reduce healthcare costs, particularly in ageing individuals.