The effect of excessive add power on the acceptance of progressive addition lenses

Twenty-nine subjects wearing Varilux Plus (Varilux 2) or Varilux Infinity lenses were drawn from the UAB School of Optometry primary care clinic population. Using a double-masked, randomized cross-over design, subjects wore one pair of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with a normal add and one pair with the add overplussed by 0.50 D. Subjects wore each pair of lenses for 1 week. Twenty-five of the 29 patients preferred the normal add over the overplussed add. In all subjective response categories the normal add was rated higher than the overplussed add.