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. 2023 Jun 18;16(6):939-946.
doi: 10.18240/ijo.2023.06.17. eCollection 2023.

0.05% atropine on control of myopia progression in Chinese school children: a randomized 3-year clinical trial

Qin Zhu  1 , Guang-Yong Tang  2 , Zhi-Juan Hua  1 , Li-Ping Xue  1 , Yuan Zhou  1 , Jie-Ying Zhang  1 , Ying-Ting Zhu  3 , Xiao-Fan Zhang  1
Affiliations

0.05% atropine on control of myopia progression in Chinese school children: a randomized 3-year clinical trial

Qin Zhu et al. Int J Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effect of 0.05% atropine on the control of myopia for 2y (phase I) and on spherical equivalent refraction (SER) progression for 1y (phase II) after its withdrawal in Chinese myopic children.

Methods: Totally 142 children with myopia were randomly assigned to the 0.05% atropine group or to the placebo group. In phase I, children received 1 treatment for each eye daily. In phase II, the patients received no treatment. Axial length (AL), SER, intraocular pressure (IOP) and atropine-related side effects were assessed at 6 months' intervals.

Results: During phase I, the mean change of SER was -0.46±0.30 D in the atropine group, compared to -1.72±1.12 D in the placebo group (P<0.001). The mean change of AL in the atropine group (0.26±0.30 mm) was significantly shorter than that in the placebo group (0.76±0.62 mm, P=0.002). In addition, in phase II (12mo after the withdrawal of atropine), there was no significant difference in AL change from the atropine group, when compared with that from the placebo group (0.31±0.25 mm vs 0.28±0.26 mm, P>0.05). Furthermore, the change in SER from the atropine group was 0.50±0.41 D, which was significantly lower than 0.72±0.60 D from placebo group, (P<0.05). Finally, there were no statistically significant differences in IOP between the treatment and control groups at any stages (all P>0.05).

Conclusion: The use of 0.05% atropine for two consecutive years may effectively control elongation of AL and thus progression of myopia, without significant SER progression 1y after atropine withdrawal. Therefore, treatment with 0.05% atropine daily for 2y is effective and safe.

Keywords: atropine; axial length; children; myopia; spherical equivalent refraction.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Adjusted changes of spherical equivalent refraction in the atropine and placebo groups by time course analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Adjusted changes of axial length in atropine and placebo groups by time course analysis.
Figure 3
Figure 3. CONSORT flow diagram of the treatment of myopia by 0.05% atropine eye drops.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Distribution of changes of spherical equivalent refraction between the atropine and placebo groups at 3y.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Distribution of changes of axial length between 0.05% atropine and placebo groups at 3y.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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