IMI—Interventions for Controlling Myopia Onset and Progression 2025
Mark A. Bullimore, Kathryn J. Saunders, Rigmor C. Baraas, David A. Berntsen, Zhi Chen, Audrey Wei Lin Chia, So Goto, Jun Jiang, Weizhong Lan, Nicola S. Logan, Raymond P. Najjar, Jan Roelof Polling, Scott A. Read, Emily C. Woodman‐Pieterse, Noémi Széll, Pavan K. Verkicharla, Pei‐Chang Wu, Xiaoying Zhu, James Loughman, Manbir Nagra, John R. Phillips, Huy D. Tran, Fuensanta A. Vera‐Díaz, Jason C. Yam, Yue M. Liu, Sarah Singh, Christine F. Wildsoet
Abstract
Myopia is recognized as a significant public health problem, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. This has led to the development and evaluation of a range of interventions to slow its progression and delay its onset. Since the publication of the 2019 International Myopia Institute's review of interventions for controlling myopia onset and progression, treatment options have continued to grow in number. This article reviews the efficacy of such interventions under five categories: optical, pharmacological, environmental (behavioral), colored light, and surgical. In summarizing the efficacy of mature technologies, only randomized controlled trials were considered, although such data are very limited for emerging treatments. The overall conclusion is that there are multiple effective interventions in most categories. Further research should aim to understand the mechanisms underlying myopia progression and the modalities that slow its progression in order to develop more effective treatments.