Low-concentration atropine for controlling myopia onset and progression in East Asia

Over the past few years, there has been a rapid accumulation of data on the use of low-concentration atropine for myopia control, especially in East Asian children, with its effectiveness varying in different studies. This review aims to evaluate the current evidence surrounding the efficacy and safety of low-concentration atropine in the management of myopia onset and progression in East Asia.

Clinical trials involving atropine for myopia control in East Asia were reviewed.

Atropine has been shown to reduce myopia progression in East Asian children, compared with placebo. Its efficacy is concentration-dependent, with 1 % atropine yielding the greatest effect in slowing myopia progression by over 70 %, but it is associated with significant rebound and side effects. Lower concentrations also confer significant myopia-control effects while maintaining a more acceptable safety profile, with relative reductions of 67 % and 43 % reported for 0.05 % and 0.025 % atropine, respectively. While 0.01 % atropine showed the least effect compared to 0.05 % and 0.025 %, it still yielded a significant efficacy in slowing myopic refraction. Over two years, 0.05 % atropine reduced the incidence of myopia by nearly 50 %, demonstrating greater effectiveness than 0.01 % atropine. This effect was particularly notable in children with low hyperopic reserves (< +0.75 D), but not in those with higher reserves.

The current evidence shows that low-concentration atropine plays a crucial role in managing myopia in East Asian children and demonstrates satisfactory safety profiles. Timely administration of the most effective and safest concentration can potentially prevent sight-threatening complications and subsequent vision loss.