🔴Presentation at EVER 2024: Efficacy of Red Light Therapy Combined with Ortho-K for Myopia Control🔴

At the recently held 27th Congress of the European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER) (one of the largest and most influential academic events in ophthalmology and optometry in Europe), US Doctor of Optometry Fernando J. Fernández-Velázquez, along with colleagues María José Fernández Fidalgo and Victoria Ferigo, presented interim six-month results of a study titled “Six-Month Efficacy of Red-Light Therapy and Customised Orthokeratology for Myopia Control in Spanish Children”: patients achieved excellent results!

This study, conducted at the Fernández-Velázquez Center, aimed to explore a combination of non-invasive treatments to improve the effectiveness and safety of myopia treatment in children. The results showed that this combined therapy can significantly slow down axial length growth, enhance the therapeutic effect of Ortho-K, and has good safety and tolerability.

Of significant interest, this study not only represents the first European investigation into the combined therapeutic potential of red-light therapy (RLRL) and orthokeratology (Ortho-K) for pediatric myopia control, but also constitutes the first assessment of RLRL's effects within a Spanish pediatric population, thereby establishing a pioneering precedent in both clinical practice and research.

The full poster of the study "Six-Month Efficacy of Red-Light Therapy and Customised Orthokeratology for Myopia Control in Spanish Children."

Introduction:Myopia progression in children is a growing global concern. Both orthokeratology (Ortho-K) and repeated low-level red-light therapy (RLRL) have shown promise in slowing axial length (AL) elongation. It is hypothesized that their combination may enhance the effects of both treatments. This study is a 6-month interim analysis of a 12-month study investigating the adjunct use of RLRL with Ortho-K. This research addresses the critical need for effective myopia control strategies in children, exploring the potential synergistic benefits of combining two promising non-pharmacological interventions.

Method:This study was a single-center, parallel-group, non-masked randomized controlled trial conducted at the Centro Fernández-Velázquez in Madrid, Spain. Twenty-six children aged 10 to 13 years with myopia ranging from -0.75 to -6.75 diopters (D) were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to either the orthokeratology group (OK group) or the orthokeratology combined with red-light therapy group (RCO group). The red-light therapy was administered using the Eyerising device (650 nm wavelength) with an intervention protocol of twice daily for 3 minutes each time, 5 days per week. The primary outcome measure was axial length (AL). Secondary outcome measures included macular choroidal thickness (mCT) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings.

Results :A total of 26 children completed the 6-month follow-up (11 in the RCO group and 15 in the OK group).

• The mean change in axial length (AL) was -0.06 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.12 to 0.01 mm) in the RCO group, whereas the OK group exhibited a mean increase in axial length of 0.04 mm (95% CI: -0.12 to 0.01 mm) (P = 0.001).
• In the RCO group, 45.5% of participants (n = 5) achieved a clinically significant reduction in axial length (≤-0.05 mm), compared to 0% in the OK group.
• The mean change in macular choroidal thickness (mCT) was 0.66 μm (95% CI: 0.05 to 1.28 μm) in the RCO group, which was significantly greater than the 0.08 μm (95% CI: 0.001 to 0.15 μm) observed in the OK group (P = 0.022).

Result-Continued:No adverse events were reported, and no changes in corneal or OCT structures were observed.

Main Conclusions:

• Axial Length Reduction: The combination of RLRL and Ortho-K demonstrated a significant reduction in axial length elongation, a key marker of myopia progression.
  
  
• Enhanced Efficacy of Ortho-K: Red-light therapy augmented the efficacy of Ortho-K, contributing to the stabilization of myopia progression in high-risk patients.
  
  
• Safety and Tolerability in Children: The study indicated that the combination was well-tolerated in children with no significant side effects observed.

Personal opinion: These findings open up new possibilities for myopia treatment, focusing on non-invasive solutions and treatment combinations. We will continue to study and explore the long-term effects of these therapies on myopia control.