ABSTRACT
Objective@#To evaluate the long-term ef efficacy and safety of topical 1% atropine for retarding pregressive myopia.@*Methods@#A randomized controlled study evaluating atropine and placebo in 570 Chinese children aged 8~14 years recruited from pediatric ophthalmology in Yunnan Provincial the Second People s Hospital during Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2019. In experimental group, patients received drops every two weeks for 24 months, then every three weeks for 12 months, followed by no drops for 12 months. In control group, all children wear single focus frame glasses. Spherical equivalent, axial length, intraocular pressure and atropinerelated side effects were examined at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months for all children.@*Results@#At the end of stage Ⅰ, the myopia progression in the atropine treatment group (-0.27±0.81)D was significantly lower than that in the control group (-1.29±0.13)D, and the increase of axial length in the atropine group (0.11±0.13)mm was also significantly lower than that in the control group (0.41±0.19)mm (P<0.05). At the end of stage Ⅱ, the average myopia progression in the atropine treatment group (-0.31±0.28)D was significantly lower than that in the control group (-0.80±0.66)D (P<0.01). Similarly, the axial growth of the experimental group (0.14±0.09)mm was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.39±0.14)mm (P<0.01). After the withdrawal of atropine eye drops (stage Ⅲ), there was no significant refractive regression in the experimental group. During the whole follow-up period, no serious adverse events related to atropine were found.@*Conclusion@#Local intermittent use of 1% atropine eye drops and the gradual reduction of atropine eye drops can ensure the effectiveness in the treatment of myopia, reducing the side effects of atropine, avoiding refractive regression after drug withdrawal, and improving children s compliance at the same time.