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Several major lens manufacturers have claimed that their lenses can slow the progression of myopia (short-sightedness) in children.

  • Essilor claim their Stellest lenses can:

    slow down myopia progression by 67% on average, compared to single vision lenses, when worn 12 hours a day*.

    * Compared to single vision lenses, when worn 12 hours a day. Two-year prospective, controlled, randomized, double-masked clinical trial results on 54 myopic children wearing Stellest lenses compared to 50 myopic children wearing single vision lenses in China. Efficacy results based on 32 children who declared wearing Stellest lenses at least 12 hours per day every day.

    Bao J. et al. (2021). Myopia control with spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets: a 2-year randomized clinical trial. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.; 62(8):2888.

  • Hoya claim their MiyoSmart lens:

    "corrects the visual defect on its entire surface and has a ring shaped treatment area to slow down myopia progression."

    Published scientific studies in the British Journal of Ophthalmology:

    Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomized clinical trial. (Published 11 Dec. 2019)

    Myopia control effect of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lens in Chinese children: results of a 3-year follow-up study. (Published Online First: 17 March 2021)

  • Zeiss claim that their MyoKids lenses:

    help with managing the progression of myopia as compared to standard single vision lenses.

    Unlike traditional single vision lenses, ZEISS MyoVision Pro has a positive effect, assisting with myopia management in children between six and 12 years old9 – with maximum visual comfort, since ZEISS MyoVision Pro spectacle lenses are also customised to match your child's anatomy and lifestyle.

Googling showed me:

  • Bao J, Huang Y, Li X, et al. Spectacle Lenses With Aspherical Lenslets for Myopia Control vs Single-Vision Spectacle Lenses: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022;140(5):472–478. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0401

None of these are approved by FDA. I spoke to two optometrists, who are both skeptical; they advise waiting for FDA approval before buying them.

Do these lens technologies help slow down the progression of myopia?

Oddthinking
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    Slight confounding factor to the proper research in this area would be the ethical concerns of randomised control trials on children. A thought. But then perhaps some world governments prize societal-level success over ethics. – Jiminy Cricket. Jul 02 '22 at 05:03
  • @JiminyCricket.: I don't see the ethical dilemma. One clinical arm wears regular glasses. The other wears aspherical lenslets. – Oddthinking Jul 02 '22 at 10:59
  • If there's reason to think (even without conclusive metrics of the magnitude of the effect) that a certain strategy would be beneficial, whilst another detrimental, an adult could reasonably weigh the situation and make a choice. Children can't. To have such a choice made for them for the purposes of a clinical trial - well, if that happens, then medical ethics are not what I might wish they should be. @Oddthinking – Jiminy Cricket. Jul 02 '22 at 11:08
  • I was wondering how this is supposed to be double-masked or blind in any way. I would assume that if you hold the glasses in your hands it is quite obvious whether there are single vision or something more fancy. – quarague Jul 02 '22 at 11:27
  • @JiminyCricket.: Let's [take the ethics discussion to chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/137477/discussion-on-question-by-user-do-aspherical-lenslets-in-glasses-slow-the-progre). – Oddthinking Jul 02 '22 at 12:02
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    @quarague, the children don't necessarily even know they are in a trial, or even know each other, so how would they compare glasses even if they knew they could? And even if they did and could, how would they know which glasses are special, much less what their difference is supposed to do? Each child will put on the glasses and be able to see much better immediately; they aren't going to be thinking about possible long term effects. – Ray Butterworth Jul 02 '22 at 13:48

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