It’s good to see another study indicating that Orthokeratology Contact Lenses prevent the progression of nearsightedness (myopia). The Controlling Astigmatism & Nearsightedness in Developing Youth Study (CANDY) was based on a relatively small population (28 patients) and it would have been good to see the rate of myopic progression after removing the contact lenses over a greater period of time, however the data was compelling and warrants further study.
As eye doctors we are often asked if we can prevent the progression of nearsightedness in children. Clinically, we feel that the answer is probably yes, however there are relatively few studies that have investigated this common question. The CANDY Study backs up what we feel our clinical experience has taught us. The progression of nearsightedness in CANDY study patients was 0.37D prior to wearing overnight Ortho-K contact lenses. When the patients discontinued wearing their lenses they found that the patient’s refractive error, on average, had increased by only 0.03D.
An FDA sponsored study of 300 children started in 2007 and is expected to continue for 5 years. Hopefully, the FDA study will answer more of our questions. Additional findings from the CANDY Study found that the younger the child the more beneficial was the effect on controlling myopia and the technique was more convenient. A more comprehensive look at Orthokeratology including a link to the CANDY Study is available on the Total Eye Care website.
5 responses so far ↓
Contact Lenses Helping Children // February 26, 2009 at 2:13 pm |
Great post. This is a good find.
Dr. Wallace // March 23, 2009 at 11:21 am |
Orthokeratology has great advantages for children. Since it is non-surgical it can be done on those who are under 18. This means that kids can enjoy sports, school etc. without the need for correction through the day. No more lost glasses or torn contacts.
Furthermore, children who have parents with high myopia are at risk of developing high myopia also. I love that the CANDY study shows that orthokeratology can slow this progression. There is a great advantage when a child reaches adulthood and their nearsighted prescription is far less than it would have been without the procedure.
Another Study Shows Progression of Nearsightedness Slowed With Contact Lenses « The Eye Doc Blog // June 1, 2009 at 12:24 am |
[...] February here in The Eye Doc Blog we reported that The CANDY Study showed that OrthoKeratology contact lenses markedly slowed the progression of nearsightedness in [...]
Encouraging Early Results in Nearsightedness Prevention Study « The Eye Doc Blog // July 10, 2009 at 1:45 pm |
[...] have also shown that preventing nearsightedness with ortho-K contact lenses is possible, such the CANDY Study. A study from Ohio State Unversity suggested that wearing Ortho-K lenses overnight actually [...]
Study Says: Myopia Increasing Rapidly in The US Population « The Eye Doc Blog // December 22, 2009 at 11:02 am |
[...] a year ago the study, Controlling Astigmatism & Nearsightedness in Developing Youth (CANDY) showed that orthokeratology contact lenses reduced the progression of nearsightedness in [...]