Key Takeaways
- 0.01% atropine slowed myopia progression in children, reducing spherical equivalent refraction progression by 37% annually and by 0.21 D per year versus placebo.
- Efficacy varied by ethnicity, with the greatest reduction observed in South Asian populations, followed by East Asian and white populations.
Low-dose atropine (0.01%) slows myopia progression in children, with varying levels of effectiveness across different ethnic groups, according to a study.
The analysis included 25 randomized controlled trials involving 4,374 children and compared 0.01% atropine with placebo.
Overall, 0.01% atropine reduced myopia progression compared with placebo. The magnitude of effect differed by ethnicity, with the greatest reduction observed in South Asian populations, followed by East Asian and white populations.
Treatment with 0.01% atropine slowed myopia progression by 0.21 diopters per year versus placebo. A similar trend was observed for reductions in axial length elongation.
Reference
Zhang XJ, Liu M, Ho ECF, et al. Efficacy of 0.01% atropine eye drops for myopia control in children of different ethnicities: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2026;bjo-2025-328942. doi: 10.1136/bjo-2025-328942. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41876209.
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