[TREATMENTS FOR SLOWING THE PROGRESSION OF MYOPIA]

Myopia is the most common refractive error and is now endemic over the entire industrial world, particularly in Asia. High myopia is one of the major causes of blindness in the world. Slowing the progress of myopia is possible, the most effective treatment being atropine ophthalmic drops, given in a dose-dependent fashion. Although high-dose atropine (1% and 0.5%) was found to be highly effective in slowing myopia progression, low-dose atropine (0.01%) was found to have the lowest rebound effect (accelerated myopia progression after treatment cessation) and was therefore, the most effective treatment in the long term. Moderately effective treatments include pirenzepine drops, cyclopentolate drops, orthokeratology, contact lenses which are designed to reduce the peripheral hyperopic blur and distance-center soft multifocal contact lenses. Less effective treatments include multifocal spectacle lenses, bifocal spectacle lenses, bifocal soft contact lenses and outdoor activity in daylight. Visual therapy, biofeedback, full-spectacle correction, under-correction, spectacles designed to reduce the peripheral hyperopic blur, single-vision rigid gas-permeable contact lenses, single-vision soft contact lenses, tropicamide drops and timolol drops were all found to be ineffective.