News — Salt Lake City, Utah — If you or someone you know has trouble seeing things far away, you most likely have nearsightedness, also known as myopia. It is a common eye problem which, if not managed, can lead to serious issues like glaucoma, vision loss or blindness. The number of people with myopia is on the rise, with experts predicting that nearly half the world could be myopic by 2050. From May 4 - 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah, scientists from around the globe will present novel studies highlighting the many possibilities for confronting myopia at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology’s (ARVO).
Myopia risk factors include genetics, ethnicity, staring closely at device screens for a prolonged time and not spending a lot of time outdoors. The results of one study beng presented at the Annual Meetng support the latter two risk factors, highlighting that sunlight slows down the progression of myopia. Since many people, especially children, spend much of their time indoors, finding ways to make indoor lighting more protective against myopia, such as adding indigo light to it, could make significant strides in managing this condition.
Common treatments for myopia are eyeglasses, contact lenses, surgery and atropine eye drops. At the Annual Meeting, studies being presented further examine these approaches and identify additional strategies for preventing and managing this vision disorder. For instance, how low-dose atropine eye drops, a treatment already known to slow down the progression of myopia, may help control changes in the eye structure associated with the condition. This could potentially lead to better long-term eye health and reduce the risk of serious vision problems for children with myopia.
Furthermore, one study will show that defocus lenses, contacts or eyeglasses that blur (defocus) peripheral vision while keeping the central vision clear, could be a useful tool in managing severe myopia in children. All of the studies emphasize the importance of early intervention for timely detection and management of myopia.
##
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is an international eye and vision research organization with more than 10,000 members from over 60 countries. Our Annual Meeting is the premiere global gathering for eye and vision scientists, students, and those in affiliated fields to share the latest research findings and collaborate on innovative solutions. For 2025, the Meeting will be hosted May 4 - 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Meeting theme, i3: imagining innovation and intelligence in vision science, addresses how vision research is continually being transformed by new information and technologies that are catalyzing our research as we aim to treat, cure and ultimately prevent blinding eye diseases. Learn more at ARVO.org/AM.
Media contact:
Jenniffer Scherhaufer, MMC, CAE
1.240.221.2923
[email protected]
RSS