Controlling myopia progression in children and adolescents

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The primary symptom of nearsightedness (myopia) is blurred distance vision, but in 10% of the cases accompanying increase in eye’s length leads to substantially increased risk of severe eye diseases such as retinal detachment, primary open angle glaucoma, cataract and myopic maculopathy. All of these may lead to blindness. Therefore, myopia is a major public health issue and the ‘Vision 2020’ campaign for prevention of blindness and visual impairment initiative by the World Health Organization has set a major emphasis on myopia progression control. European Eye Epidemiology Consortium showed a prevalence of myopia of 30.6%, which was higher in participants in age 25-29 years (47.2%). A recent study estimates that on average 30% of the world is currently myopic and by 2050, almost 50%, i.e. 5 billion people will be myopic. Control of the risk factors for development and progression of myopia, combined with systematic evaluation of the efficacy of the variety of the available treatment interventions is needed. The current project aims to develop a software-guided clinically applicable implementation of the logistics for: 1. Comprehensive patients' pre-treatment evaluation of the risk factors (including the genetic and environmental factors and measurements of relevant parameters), 2. Categorisation according to the results of the pre-treatment evaluation and prognostic criteria, 3. Evidence based choice of treatment for progression of myopia and 4. Dynamic evaluation of the treatments. The patients' database will provide material for clinical studies planned in this project and their publication, as well as easily understandable summary reports for the patients/parents, The developed software for myopia progression management will be a subject for sharing/sale to other eye care institutions.