ALABAMA publishes trial about myopia in JAMA Ophthalmology

Use of low-dose atropine eyedrops was no better than placebo at slowing myopia (nearsightedness) progression and elongation of the eye among children treated for two years, according to a randomized controlled trial conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group and funded by the NIH National Eye Institute. Results were published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

“It's possible that a different concentration of atropine is needed for US children to experience a benefit,” noted the study’s lead co-author, Katherine K. Weise, University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Clinical researchers could evaluate new pharmaceuticals and special wavelengths of light in combination with optical strategies, like special glasses or contact lenses, to see what works in reducing the progression of myopia.”