Changes in Lens Thickness and Power Before and After Myopia Onset.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Refractive Error Research

Background:

• Myopia development is a significant global health concern.
• Understanding crystalline lens changes is crucial for myopia progression insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate crystalline lens biometric changes before and after myopia onset.
• To compare age-related trends in refractive error and lens parameters between developing myopes and persistent non-myopes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study in Guangzhou, China, over 5 years.
• Inclusion of initially emmetropic or hyperopic children.
• Analysis of spherical equivalent refraction, axial length, lens thickness, and lens power.

Main Results:

• Newly developed myopes (NDM) showed faster myopic shift, axial elongation, and lens power/thickness reduction compared to persistent non-myopes (PNM).
• Spherical equivalent refraction and axial length changes peaked one year before myopia onset.
• Lens thickness and power were stable before myopia onset, with age-related changes observed in PNM group.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated changes in refraction and axial length precede myopia onset by one year.
• Crystalline lens thickness and power changes are primarily age-dependent, not directly linked to myopia onset timing.
• Distinct age-related patterns in lens parameters exist between progressing myopes and non-myopes.