Myopia Progression in Adults: A Retrospective Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Public Health

Background:

• Myopia progression typically slows after adolescence, but limited data exists for young adults.
• Understanding adult myopia progression is crucial for clinical management and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the mean annual progression of myopia in young adults.
• To estimate the proportion of individuals experiencing myopia progression during adulthood.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of longitudinal, noncycloplegic subjective refraction data from 354 young adult myopes (ages 18-30).
• Defined progression as at least a -0.50 D shift and annualized progression of -0.25 D or more.
• Compared progression rates across different age groups and academic environments.

Main Results:

• Mean annualized myopia progression was -0.10 D (18-21 years), -0.08 D (22-26 years), and -0.04 D (27-30 years), showing a significant decrease with age.
• The proportion of progressors decreased with age: 18.3% (18-21 years), 10.9% (21-26 years), and 8.8% (26-30 years).
• Individuals in academic environments had a higher odds ratio (2.07) for myopia progression compared to those in nonacademic settings.

Conclusions:

• Myopia progression is minimal in young adults, particularly after age 21, aligning with existing research.
• While the rate and proportion of adult progressors are small, further research is needed to understand clinical implications.
• Academic environments may be associated with a higher risk of adult myopia progression.