CUHK Study Proves Low-Concentration Atropine Eye Drops Can Prevent Myopia in Children

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, doublemasked trial of low-concentration atropine eyedrops to evaluate their effectiveness in preventing myopia.

Results show that among children aged four to nine years without myopia, compared with placebo, nightly use of low-concentration 0.05% atropine eye drops resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of myopia over two years, from 53.0% to 28.4% (a relative reduction of 46.4%). This is the first study in the world to prove that lowconcentration atropine eyedrops can prevent the onset of myopia. Details of the study have been published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The CU Medicine research team recruited 474 non-myopic children aged four to nine years at the CUHK

Eye Centre to join the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked “Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Prevention (LAMP2)” trial from 2017 to 2020. The participants had at least one parent who is myopic. They were randomly assigned to the 0.05% atropine group, the 0.01% atropine group, or the placebo group and had eyedrops applied once nightly in both eyes for two years.

Results showed that the 0.05% atropine group had a significantly lower two-year cumulative incidence of myopia and a lower percentage of participants with fast myopic shift, compared with the placebo group.

Dr. Jason Yam Cheuk-sing, principal investigator of the LAMP2 Study, associate professor from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, CU Medicine, and director of the CUHK Jockey Club Myopia Prevention Programme, stated: “Our previous LAMP1 study proved of biomechanical strength of the cornea and faster nerve regeneration due to less corneal fibers being cut.

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that low-concentration atropine eye drops can reduce myopia progression and a 0.05% concentration appeared to achieve the best balance between maximizing efficacy and minimizing side effects. The current LAMP2 study has further shown their potential in preventing myopia onset. As our younger generation becomes more reliant on digital devices and we are facing a surge in myopia in the future, our findings suggest low-concentration atropine eye drops are an effective preventive strategy for myopia onset among high-risk children and reduce their risk of suffering from sight-threatening diseases.”

The team plans to launch a LAMP3 study to investigate the efficacy and safety of combining atropine eyedrops with red light therapy.

Interested individuals can contact the research team by WhatsApp (91371925) or email (childreneye@cuhk.edu.hk).