Progressive addition lenses slow myopic progression in children

BOSTON — Children who wore progressive addition lenses showed slightly lower rates of myopic progression over 3 years than children who wore single vision lenses, according to a study. Authors note, however, that the difference is not significant enough to warrant a change in how eye care professionals prescribe corrective lenses for children with myopia.

The Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) was designed to identify risk factors related to progression of myopia in children, author said. At baseline, the 462 participants in the multicenter study had moderate amounts of myopia and were between the ages of 6 and 11. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either progressive addition lenses (235 patients) or single vision lenses (234 patients). Baseline myopia ranged from –1.25 D to –4.5 D.

After 3 years, the two groups showed a difference in myopia progression of 0.2 D. Overall axial length of the children’s eyes paralleled the changes in the amount of myopia in both groups as well.

A key observation from COMET is the treatment effect occurred in the first year but was sustained for the following two, according to a news release from the National Eye Institute, one of the cosponsors of the study.

“The number of prescription changes differed significantly by treatment group only in the first year,” Jane Gwiazda and colleagues wrote in the April issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. “At 6 months, 17% of the progressive lens group vs. 30% of the single lens group needed a prescription change. At 1 year, 43% of the progressive lens group vs. 59% of the single lens group required a prescription change.”

When looking at the two groups, the difference was greater in children with poorer accommodative response and lower amounts of myopia at baseline.

“Progressive addition lenses should not be prescribed routinely for slowing myopia progression in children,” the NEI news release states.