Atropine Meta Research Study

The authors of this meta research study were seeking to understand atropine’s success in treating myopia in children. Their meta research project analyzed four clinical research trials and seven cohort studies (a kind of observational study), which combined for a total of 815 children aged 5 to 15 years. According to their research synopsis, the children had a “baseline refraction of -0.50 to -9.75 diopters (D) and were followed up for an average of 22.0 months”.

The results were startling and further support the ever-increasing body of scientific evidence of atropine’s revolutionary potential for slowing and even stopping myopia’s progression in young children.

According to their findings, “compared with placebo, the risk of fast myopia progression (>1.0 D per year) using atropine was significantly decreased in both RCTs (randomized control trials) and cohort studies. … The benefit of slow myopia progression (<0.50 D per year) using atropine was significantly increased in both RCTs and cohort studies.”

The authors are unequivocal in their conclusions, finding that “atropine could significantly slow myopia progression in children, with greater effects in Asian than in white children. Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies provided comparable effects.”

Many existing studies and analysis of the myopia epidemic have found an alarming increase in myopia occurrence around the world, with the rate in Asia and among children of Asian descent outpacing the rate among non-Asian populations.

Read the summary report of the study here and if you have any questions or comments, please enter them in the comments section below. To learn more about how your child might benefit from atropine treatments, please visit our appointment page to schedule a visit to Treehouse Eyes Center.