The effect of low-concentration atropine combined with auricular acupoint stimulation in myopia control

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the effect of myopia control between patients treated with low-concentration atropine eye drops combined with auricular acupoint stimulation and those treated with atropine alone.

Design and settings: Single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial in a regional teaching hospital.

Interventions: The patients received either topical 0.125% atropine nightly plus auricular acupoint stimulation (0.125A + ACU group) or topical 0.125% atropine alone nightly (0.125A group).

Main outcome measures: The changes in spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and intraocular pressure (IOP) per year were compared between the two groups.

Results: Seventy-three of 110 total patients (66.4%) completed at least 6 months of follow-up. Patients in the 0.125A + ACU group had less myopic progression and AL elongation (-0.41 diopter and 0.24 mm/year) than those in the 0.125A group (-0.66 diopter and 0.32 mm/year) (mean follow-up 14.7 months, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02, respectively). The ACD increased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (0.076 mm vs. 0.023 mm/year, p = 0.0004). IOP decreased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (-1.01 mmHg vs. -0.13 mmHg/year, p = 0.007). A decrease of 1 mmHg of IOP correlated with a decrease of myopic progression of 0.021 diopter/year (p = 0.006).

Conclusions: Patients treated with 0.125% atropine eye drops plus auricular acupoint stimulation had less myopic progression, less axial length elongation, more anterior chamber deepening, and greater IOP reductions than those treated with 0.125% atropine alone. Auricular acupoint stimulation in combination with low-concentration topical atropine was beneficial for myopia control.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Anterior chamber depth; Atropine; Auricular acupoint; Axial length; Intraocular pressure; Myopia.