Myopia: Can Its Progression Be Controlled?

Myopia is considered to be a leading cause of visual impairment. Furthermore, the prevalence of myopia in young adolescents has increased substantially over the past few decades. Although myopia was identified more than two thousands years ago, a consistently effective approach to myopia control for all patients still eludes clinicians. Among all the treatments mentioned in this review, the most promising ones are muscarinic receptor antagonists, including atropine and pirenzipine. Bifocal and progressive lenses can be effective in the control of myopia and have greater effectiveness for subjects with nearpoint esophoria and a high lag of accommodation. The treatment outcomes of gas permeable contact lenses have been confirmed to be effective but with questionable overall clinical effect. Other treatments including the under correction of myopia have been shown to be ineffective while traditional Chinese interventions for myopia prevention need further study to access their efficacy.