Myopia Control: Are We Ready for an Evidence Based Approach?

INTRODUCTION: Myopia and its vision-threatening complications present a significant public health problem. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the multitude of known and emerging interventions to control myopia, including their potential effect, safety, and costs. METHODS: A systematic literature search of three databases was conducted. Interventions were grouped into four categories: environmental/behavioral (outdoor time, near work), pharmacological (e.g., atropine), optical interventions (spectacles and contact lenses), and novel approaches such as red-light (RLRL) therapies. Review articles and original articles on randomized controlled trials (RCT) were selected. RESULTS: From the initial 3224 retrieved records, 18 reviews and 41 original articles reporting results from RCTs were included. While there is more evidence supporting the efficacy of low-dose atropine and certain myopia-controlling contact lenses in slowing myopia progression, the evidence about the efficacy of the newer interventions, such as spectacle lenses (e.g., defocus incorporated multiple segments and highly aspheric lenslets) is more limited. Behavioral interventions, i.e., increased outdoor time, seem effective for preventing the onset of myopia if implemented successfully in schools and homes. While environmental interventions and spectacles are regarded as generally safe, pharmacological interventions, contact lenses, and RLRL may be associated with adverse effects. All interventions, except for behavioral change, are tied to moderate to high expenditures. CONCLUSION: Our review suggests that myopia control interventions are recommended and prescribed on the basis of accessibility and clinical practice patterns, which vary widely around the world. Clinical trials indicate short- to medium-term efficacy in reducing myopia progression for various interventions, but none have demonstrated long-term effectiveness in preventing high myopia and potential complications in adulthood. There is an unmet need for a unified consensus for strategies that balance risk and effectiveness for these methods for personalized myopia management.

Following prevalence of myopia in a large Swiss military cohort over the last decade: where is the European "myopia boom"?

PURPOSE: Myopia prevalence is increasing globally, with the highest rates found in Asia. Data from European countries is scarce. We aimed to investigate whether the prevalence of myopia is rising in our meridians. METHODS: Data from male military conscripts for the recruitment period of 2008-2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Year of recruitment, conscripts' birth year, visual acuity, refractive status (spherical equivalent), and spectacle wear (yes/no) were available. RESULTS: The dataset contained data of a total of 355,657 male conscripts, who had been recruited in the years 2008 to 2017. The mean number of conscripts per year was 35,566 (MD = 35,440, SD = 1249), reaching a minimum number of 33,998 conscripts in 2017 and a maximum of 37,594 in 2011. Mean age at recruitment was 19.7 years (MD = 19.0 years, SD = 1.1 years). Overall, the number of conscripts wearing spectacles remained stable over the observation time; on average 29.6% (n = 10,540; MD = 10,472; SD = 492) of conscripts wore glasses at recruitment. Of 21.8% (n = 77,698) of conscripts, data on the refractive status was available: The mean spherical equivalent for both right and left eyes was -2.3D (MD = -2 D, SD = 2.4 D). No decrease in mean spherical equivalent per recruitment year was noted over the observation period. Estimated myopia prevalence reached an average of 27.5% (SD = 0.8%) and did not increase during the observation period. CONCLUSION: In summary, no change in spherical equivalent refractive errors of male Swiss army conscripts was found for the years 2008-2017. Equally, the percentage of spectacle wearers (MN = 29.6%) and estimated myopia prevalence (MN = 27.5%) did not significantly increase during the observation time. TRIAL REGISTRATION:  BASEC 2019-00060 (18/01/2019).

Use of Spectacles after Cataract Surgery.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the use of spectacles in everyday life after bilateral cataract surgery with a preoperative refractive target of emmetropia in both eyes. In addition, we analyzed the total cost of spectacles and the patient's visual satisfaction at least 6 months after surgery. METHODS: Patients after bilateral cataract surgery with implantation of an aspheric monofocal IOL (Tecnis 1, Johnson & Johnson) with a preoperative refractive target of emmetropia in both eyes and a documented refractive outcome were included in this prospective observational study. In a phone interview ≥ 6 months after surgery, the following items were assessed: type of spectacles purchased and overall cost, type of activity with and duration of spectacle wear, and satisfaction with the visual situation. RESULTS: Seventy patients were included in this study. Depending on their postoperative refraction, patients were divided into group A (n = 27) with perfect emmetropia in both eyes (i.e., spherical equivalent [SE] of ≥ - 0.25 D to ≤ + 0.25 D), group B (n = 21) with achieved emmetropia in one eye (i.e., SE of ≥ - 0.25 D to ≤ + 0.25 D) and a myopic refraction in the other eye (< - 0.25 D), and group C (n = 22) with bilateral myopic results (SE of < - 0.25 D). Overall, 84% of patients had purchased new spectacles, mostly varifocals (59%) or reading glasses (24%) at the median cost of 980 Swiss Francs (mean: CHF 912 ± 746). Despite patients' initial reasoning for their lens choice to require reading glasses only, varifocal glasses were worn for more than 50% or all of awake time by 48% of patients in group A, 43% in group B, and 68% in group C. Despite their regular spectacles use, patients' visual satisfaction was very high in all three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients who achieve perfect bilateral emmetropia after implantation of monofocal aspheric lenses buy varifocal spectacles within 6 months, and more than half of all patients use their varifocal spectacles for more than 50% of their awakening time. The costs for such spectacles are high.

Myopia Management in Daily Routine - A Survey of European Pediatric Ophthalmologists.

PURPOSE: Assessment of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies currently used in routine practice for myopia management in Europe. METHODS: Online survey study including 11 main questions. The questionnaire was sent to members of the European Paediatric Ophthalmology Society (EPOS). The following items and questions were surveyed: I. Profession and workplace of the survey participants. II. Preventive measures and recommendations for myopia management, a) regarding reading distance and near work, b) optical tools, i.e., application of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) glasses, near additions, or contact lenses, and c) the application of atropine eye drops. III. Application of additional diagnostic tools. RESULTS: Forty-eight individuals completed the survey. Of the respondents, 88% (n = 42) affirmed that they generally gave advice on strategies for myopia prevention and management strategies. Almost all study participants (n = 41; 85%) recommend outdoor time as a preventive measure. The recommendation on near distance is given less frequently, with 28 (58%) participants confirming that they do recommend a "safe" reading distance, and 15 (31%) negating this. Eight (17%) survey participants recommend using near addition glasses, while 36 (75%) do not. Similarly, 35 (73%) respondents do not apply DIMS glasses and 8 (17%) apply them. Fourteen (29%) participants recommend myopia-reducing contact lenses while 30 (63%) do not, and 29 (60%) confirmed that they applied atropine eye drops to slow myopia progression while 14 (29%) do not prescribe these eye drops. The majority of respondents (n = 25; 86%) who prescribe atropine eye drops use atropine 0.01% eye drops. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and therapeutic management of childhood myopia is an essential part in the daily routine of pediatric ophthalmologists. Substantial agreement was found for the protective role of outdoor time (85%). The only common therapeutic approach is the administration of atropine eye drops (60%).

Emergency Vitrectomies for Retinal Detachment Before and During the Coronavirus Pandemic - A Retrospective Single Centre Analysis.

BACKGROUND: While the corona pandemic and the resulting containment measures affect the number of elective surgical procedures, the impact on emergency surgical interventions is less tangible. This analysis quantifies the frequency of emergency vitrectomies for retinal detachment and investigates underlying factors. METHODS: Retrospective identification of patients who underwent primary emergency vitrectomies for retinal detachment at the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne between 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2020. Parameters were collected, including demographics, date of hospitalisation, reported onset of symptoms, pre-operative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), involvement of the macula, and canton of residence. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 665 patients with 683 eyes underwent emergency surgery for primary retinal detachment in the time span of 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2020. Median monthly number of surgeries was 20. During the first Swiss national lockdown (16.03.2020 - 19.04.2020), a minimum of 9 vitrectomies was recorded in March 2020. A maximum of 36 vitrectomies was conducted in August 2020. The mean age of patients was 61.5 years. Of the 665 patients, 133 (20.0%) were residents of the canton of Ticino. Median pre-operative BCVA was 0.25 over all three years, and no significant reduction in pre-operative BCVA was observed during or after the lockdown. The proportion of eyes with involvement of the macula was 52.2%. In 2018, this proportion (47.6%) was significantly lower than in 2019 and 2020 (Chi2 test, p < 0.001). However, cases with macular involvement in post lockdown months were not more frequent. Median time in days from reported symptom onset to hospitalisation was 5 days. In April 2020, the proportion of patients with > 14 days symptom duration was significantly higher (Chi2 test, p < 0.001). During the lockdown, there was a significant reduction in cases from Ticino. Also, patients from Ticino showed proportionally longer symptom duration after the lockdown. CONCLUSION: A significant reduction in the number of emergency vitrectomies was observed for the initial period of the coronavirus pandemic. Delayed emergency presentation is not assumed, since there was no increase in severity (i.e. macular involvement) or prolonged symptoms in the months following the lockdown. More protracted symptoms were only observed in patients from Ticino. The initial low numbers were generally made good later in the year.

Effect of Protective Measures on the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Eye Clinic Staff Members.

BACKGROUND: Switzerland was strongly affected by the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that resulted in a nationwide lockdown in March 2020. Ophthalmologists were at most risk of contracting a SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their close working distance from patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate the overall effectiveness of protective measures on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among employees in a large public eye hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After lifting the lockdown in April 2020, standard precaution measures were taken, such as no handshaking and the use of operating face masks and a protective plastic shield on slit lamps and diagnostic devices. Only patients with no signs of SARS-CoV-2 disease were seen during the study period. Specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers were measured in eye clinic employees at the end of April 2020 (1st test phase) and in January 2021 (2nd test phase). The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers among employees with daily patient contact was compared to staff members with no patient contact. RESULTS: The SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in employees with daily patient contact, with 0% in the 1st phase and 7.4% in the 2nd phase, was not significantly higher than the prevalence in the control group with no patient contact (0.9% in the 1st phase, p = 0.4; and 8.6% in the 2nd phase, p = 0.8). Furthermore, physicians were not at a significantly higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to technicians, nurses, or office staff. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the abovementioned precaution measurements are effective in preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in eye hospitals and enable us to resume practicing ophthalmology in a safe manner.

[Prism-Induced Gaze Shift and Strabismus Treatment for Ocular Motility Disorders and Anomalous Head Posture]. / Prismen zur Blickverlagerung und Schielkorrektur bei Augenmotilitätsstörungen und Kopfzwangshaltung.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic treatment of ocular motility disorders and anomalous head postures (AHP) is often challenging. We report our experience with prism use in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective case series of three patients with ocular motility disorders and associated AHP who were treated with prism correction. RESULTS: A 37-year-old male with a traumatic left oculomotor nerve palsy suffered from a residual minor depression deficit and a severe elevation palsy. With OS: 10^ base-up he was corrected for left hypotropia only in down gaze. Ten yoked prisms base-up shifted the field of binocular single vision in primary position. A 45-year-old male with traumatic Parinaud syndrome and upward gaze palsy suffered from neck pain due to his pronounced chin elevation. He also had a right amaurosis with secondary exotropia. With OS: 8^ base-up, his AHP was corrected and his neck pain was alleviated. A 69-year-old woman with a left abducens nerve palsy adopted a left turn of 20° to compensate for her deviation in extreme right gaze. With OS: 20^ base-out, her AHP was corrected and she experienced no double vision in primary position. CONCLUSIONS: Prisms are used to correct strabismic deviations but also can successfully shift images towards another gaze in different clinical scenarios. Reduction of AHP, therefore, can be obtained by a prism-induced gaze shift in the direction of the motility restriction.

The Role of Time Exposed to Outdoor Light for Myopia Prevalence and Progression: A Literature Review.

PURPOSE: The development of myopia as a refractive disorder seems to hold multifactorial causes. Among others, increased time exposed to natural light outdoors is regarded as possible effective preventive measure against myopia development. The objective of this review is to analyse and summarize the evidence investigating the association between time outdoors and myopia prevalence and progression. METHODS: A review, restricted to articles published in the last ten years, was conducted. The literature search for the included articles was performed in the following databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus. If predefined inclusion criteria were met, the studies were further categorized and data were summarized and individually evaluated. RESULTS: Two cross-sectional studies, 7 prospective cohort studies and 3 intervention studies were reported in this review, representing the data of a total of 32,381 participants. The majority of the studies found an inverse association between myopia incidence/prevalence and increased time outdoors. The association between time outdoors and myopia progression on the other hand remains debatable; one recent randomized controlled trial indicating a protective value of increased time outdoors for further progression in myopic children. CONCLUSION: In summary, increasing time exposed to outdoor light seems to be a simple and effective preventive measure to decrease myopia prevalence. Also, contrasting previous review work, it may represent a potential strategy for myopia progression control. Future investigation is necessary to better define and quantify outdoor time and its effects on myopia.

Vision Screening in Children in the Canton of St. Gallen.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric vision screening has been shown to reduce the prevalence of amblyopia. To assess the current local situation in the Canton of St. Gallen, a survey study was performed. METHODS: A standardized questionnaire was sent to 191 general practitioners and school doctors to obtain information on the currently applied vision screening protocols for children. The questionnaire included 17 questions with multiple answers possible. RESULTS: Sixty-seven participants (35%) answered the survey. Overall, 61 (91%) of the repliers confirmed that some sort of vision screening exists. According to 45 (67%) repliers, a mandatory examination exists. As to the question about the person performing the examination, multiple answers were given; 39 (44%) answered that the secretary or the medical practical assistant performs the vision tests, 15 (17%) indicated the school doctor, and 25 (28%) indicated the general practitioner or the pediatrician. Most screening tests are performed in a general practitioner's practice (32; 40%), some are done in the kindergartens (17; 21%), and others are done in a pediatrician's practice (17; 21%). The majority of children are tested at the age of 5 - 6 years (58, 87%). Sixty-one (91%) of the repliers indicated that at least the children's visual acuity is measured. Acuity is assessed with different methods, mainly, with pictures (20; 30%), numbers (23; 34%), and Snellen optotypes (33; 49%). CONCLUSIONS: There are no consistent regulations regarding vision screening in the Canton of St. Gallen. Actually, rather different screening scenarios exist. Tests are performed by a variety of people in different locations with diverse testing procedures. A standardization of the applied screening procedures at cantonal and national levels seems reasonable.

Back to work? Socioeconomic status after kidney transplantation.

PRINCIPLES: Employment after kidney transplantation is an important marker of health recovery. The study addresses the impact of successful kidney transplantation on socioeconomic factors and employment in a Swiss cohort. METHODS: Patients who received a kidney allograft at the University Hospital of Basel between 2000 and 2011 were investigated. A standardised survey was used to obtain information on socioeconomic factors 1 year before and after successful transplantation. RESULTS: A total of 610 patients were contacted; 354 (58%) answered the survey. The median age of respondents was 53.5 (interquartile range 42-61) years at the time of transplantation, 31.2% were females. Overall, 201 out of 282 working-age patients (71.3%) were working 1 year after transplantation: 102 full-time, 55 part-time, 30 patients part-time with additional disability pension, and 14 housework. Seventy-two patients (25.3%) did not work 1 year after transplantation: 63 patients had a full or partial disability pension, and nine patients were unemployed. Thirty out of 282 working-age patients (10.6%) had improved working ability after transplantation. Employment after transplantation was favoured by: living donor transplantation (p <0.0001), pre-emptive transplantation (p <0.0001), dialysis duration ≤1 year (p <0.0001), preserved employment before transplantation (p <0.0001), and higher education (p = 0.003), whereas age above 50 years (p = 0.006), and dialysis duration > 1 year (p <0.0001) had a negative impact. CONCLUSION: The employment rate in this Swiss cohort before and after successful kidney transplantation is high compared with the literature. A high number of living donors, of pre-emptive transplantations, and short dialysis vintages contribute to this observation.

Age of second language acquisition in multilinguals has an impact on gray matter volume in language-associated brain areas.

Numerous structural studies have established that experience shapes and reshapes the brain throughout a lifetime. The impact of early development, however, is still a matter of debate. Further clues may come from studying multilinguals who acquired their second language at different ages. We investigated adult multilinguals who spoke three languages fluently, where the third language was learned in classroom settings, not before the age of 9 years. Multilinguals exposed to two languages simultaneously from birth (SiM) were contrasted with multinguals who acquired their first two languages successively (SuM). Whole brain voxel based morphometry revealed that, relative to SuM, SiM have significantly lower gray matter volume in several language-associated cortical areas in both hemispheres: bilaterally in medial and inferior frontal gyrus, in the right medial temporal gyrus and inferior posterior parietal gyrus, as well as in the left inferior temporal gyrus. Thus, as shown by others, successive language learning increases the volume of language-associated cortical areas. In brains exposed early on and simultaneously to more than one language, however, learning of additional languages seems to have less impact. We conclude that - at least with respect to language acquisition - early developmental influences are maintained and have an effect on experience-dependent plasticity well into adulthood.