RGP lenses do not slow myopia progression in children, study finds

Pediatric patients with myopia who regularly and consistently wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses are not any more likely to stop myopia progression than those who do not, according to a study in Asian children.

Joanne Katz, ScD, and colleagues in the United States and Singapore randomized 428 children with myopia between –1 D and –4 D and astigmatism of less than 2 D to either spectacle or rigid gas permeable lens wear. At 2 year follow-up, 298 patients were available for analysis.

Patients wore the RGP contact lenses for a median of 7 hours a day, but no more than 40% wore them at least 8 hours per day, 7 days a week. Spectacles were worn for a median of 15 hours per day. At the last follow-up, spherical equivalent had increase by –1.33 D and axial length increased by 0.84 mm in eyes wearing the RGP lenses. Eyes randomized to spectacle wear had a spherical equivalent increase of –1.28 D and an axial length increase of 0.79 mm. The differences between the groups were not statistically significantly different.

The study is published in the July issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.