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Long-Lasting Benefits of Multifocal Contact Lenses for Myopia Control in Children

Long Lasting Benefits of Multifocal Contact Lenses for Myopia Control in Children
01/21/2025
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What's New

New evidence from the BLINK2 study shows that multifocal contact lenses can significantly slow the progression of myopia in children, with effects that persist even after discontinuation.

Significance

This research is crucial for eye care strategies as myopia prevalence is expected to significantly increase, with implications for future eye health management.

Quick Summary

The BLINK2 study, conducted by researchers from the University of Houston and the Ohio State University, followed the progression of myopia in children who used multifocal contact lenses. The study found that high-add multifocal lenses significantly slowed the progression of myopia during use. Importantly, after discontinuation, these benefits persisted with the axial growth of the eye returning to normal, age-expected rates, without the rebound effect seen in other myopic treatments. This research suggests that starting treatment at a younger age and continuing it until later teenage years can be beneficial in managing myopia.

Stats and Figures

  • 50%: Projected percentage of the global population that will be myopic by 2050.
  • 0.03 mm/year: Increase in axial eye growth per year after switching from multifocal to single-vision lenses, noted as being age-expected.

Understanding Myopia and Its Challenges

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming increasingly prevalent, with projections indicating that nearly half of the world's population will be affected by 2050. This condition not only causes poor distance vision but is also linked to severe eye health problems, such as retinal detachment and glaucoma.

According to Berntsen, "Myopia is associated with an increased risk of long-term eye health problems that affect vision and can even lead to blindness." Thus, understanding the trajectory of myopia's growth and its implications is vital for developing effective management strategies.

The Role of Multifocal Contact Lenses

Multifocal contact lenses have proven effective in slowing myopia progression in children.

The BLINK study initially demonstrated that high-add-power multifocal contact lenses could effectively slow myopia progression in children by reducing the rate of eye growth. This has important implications as slowing this growth can reduce the risk of vision-threatening conditions later in life.

"We found that one year after discontinuing treatment with high-add power soft multifocal contact lenses in older teenagers, myopia progression returns to normal with no loss of treatment benefit," reports Berntsen in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The significant finding here is the durability of the treatment benefit. Despite discontinuation of the lenses, the progression of myopia returned to a normal rate, indicating a sustained effect.

Long-Term Benefits and Treatment Strategies

Initiating multifocal lens treatment early and continuing through teenage years can yield long-term benefits in myopia control.

The follow-up BLINK2 study further supports the use of multifocal contact lenses from a young age through late teenage years. Data collected indicates that the benefits of using such lenses remain even after stopping their use, with no accelerated regression or rebound effect observed, unlike some other treatments.

"These follow-on results from the BLINK2 Study show that the treatment benefit with myopia control contact lenses have a durable benefit when they are discontinued at an older age," said BLINK2 study chair, Jeffrey J. Walline.

This durability of effect implies that initiating treatment early provides extended protection against myopia progression, supporting a strategy that recommends starting multifocal lens use at the onset of childhood myopia and maintaining it until myopic growth stabilizes.

Citations

Berntsen, D., Walline, J. J., et al. (2025). Axial Growth and Myopia Progression After Discontinuing Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Wear. JAMA Ophthalmology, 143(2), 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.5885

Berntsen, D. (2025). Study finds lasting benefits of multifocal contact lenses in slowing myopia. University of Houston. Retrieved January 20, 2025, from https://uh.edu/news-events/stories/2025/january/01162025-berntsen-blink-2-study.

Schedule5 Feb 2025