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Bifocal contacts effective for myopia control, study finds
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DENVER – Acuvue distance center bifocal soft contact lenses were effective in controlling myopia progression, according to a study presented here.
Thomas Aller, OD, of the Vision Cooperative Research Centre in Australia, and colleagues conducted the CONTROL Study (Control of Nearsightedness – Trial of Lenses) to investigate the bifocal lenses as well as Acuvue single vision soft contact lenses.
The 12-month, double-masked, prospective, randomized clinical trial included 78 patients, 8 years to 18 years old, with a specific degree of myopia, Aller said.
Patients had “moderate myopia, progressing in the previous year, low astigmatism and low [anisometropia] and they all had esophoria fixation disparity,” Aller described.
Researchers split the participants into two groups; one group was assigned to be treated with the Acuvue distance center bifocal soft contact lenses and the other was assigned to be treated with Acuvue single vision soft contact lenses, Aller said. To assess their efficacy, the researchers measured cycloplegic subjective and objective refractions (with Nidek ARK 700) and axial lengths (with Zeiss IOLMaster) at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.
“Acuvue bifocal soft contact lenses were associated with minimal myopia progression in children and adolescents,” Aller said.
Results showed that the bifocal lenses reduced myopia progression by about 72%, so that group saw a myopia increase of -0.22 D ± 0.34 D. The single vision lens group saw a myopia increase of -0.78 D ± 0.45D.
Additionally, axial length increases for both groups were associated with their rates of myopia progression.
The lenses neutralized near associated esophoria as well.
Aller concluded: “These results make a strong case for use of bifocal soft lenses for progressive myopes, at least those with esophoria or eso fixation disparity.” –