Purpose To report the results of 12-month wear of three novel spectacle lens designs intended to reduce peripheral hyperopic defocus and one standard design control lens and their effect on the progression of myopia in Chinese children aged 6 to 16 years. Methods Chinese children (n = 210) with myopia (−0.75 D to −3.50 D sphere, cylinder ≤−1.50 D) were randomized to one of four groups wearing either one of three novel spectacle lens designs (types I, II, or III) or conventional, single-vision spectacle lenses. Data were collected at 6 and 12 months. Primary and secondary outcome measures were the changes in central cycloplegic auto-refraction and eye axial length, respectively. Peripheral refraction along the horizontal meridian (nasal and temporal) was taken at baseline with and without spectacle lenses. Multivariate linear regression was used to adjust analyses for important covariates. Results Progression in eyes wearing control spectacle lenses at 6 and 12 months was −0.55 D ± 0.35 D and −0.78 ± 0.50 D, respectively. For the entire group, no statistically significant differences were observed in the rates of progression with the novel designs in comparison to control spectacle lenses. However, in younger children (6 to 12 years) with parental history of myopia (n = 100), there was significantly less progression (−0.68 D ± 0.47 D vs. −0.97 D ± 0.48 D) with lens type III compared with control spectacles (mean difference, 0.29 D, std error, 0.11, p = 0.038). Conclusions There were no statistically significant differences in the rate of progression of myopia between the control and novel lens wearing eyes for the age group 6 to 16 years. The finding of reduced progression of myopia with type III lens design in younger children with parental myopia needs to be validated in a more targeted study.

Interest in peripheral refractive errors has increased as it was hypothesized that peripheral hypermetropia might provide a stimulus for axial elongation (Smith et al., 2005), this study was to determine relative peripheral refractive errors (RPRE) of the eyes of a group of Chinese children and adults. Central and peripheral (20 degrees , 30 degrees , 40 degrees at nasal, temporal, superior and inferior meridians of retina) refractive errors were obtained from cyclopleged eyes of 40 children and 42 adults with a Shin-Nippon auto-refractor. Only right eyes were considered. Central spherical equivalent (M) was used to classify the eyes as Moderate Myopia (MM, -3.00 < M < or = -6.00D), Low Myopia (LM, -0.50 < or = M < or = -3.00D), Emmetropia (E, -0.50

Purpose To characterize seasonal variation in the myopic progression of Chinese children. Methods Myopia progression data are presented for a total of 85 Chinese children, aged 6 to 12 years, with baseline myopia of −0.75 D to −3.50 D sphere and astigmatism ≤−1.50 D, who wore traditional single-vision spectacles in two clinical trials (trial A: n = 37, trial B: n = 48). Refractive error and axial length data were obtained at 6-month intervals using cycloplegic autorefraction and partial coherence interferometry, respectively. Progression rates for right eyes were defined for the first and second 6 months of the studies and classified in terms of “summer,” “autumn,” “winter,” or “spring” based on the mid-point of the 6-month period between visits. Results The mean 6-month spherical equivalent progression was −0.31 ± 0.25 D for summer, −0.40 ± 0.27 D for autumn, −0.53 ± 0.29 D for winter, and −0.42 ± 0.20 D for spring (p < 0.001). Mean axial elongation was 0.17 ± 0.10 mm for summer, 0.24 ± 0.09 mm for autumn, 0.24 ± 0.09 mm for winter, and 0.15 ± 0.08 mm for spring (p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis indicated that data for summer and winter were different from each other at p < 0.05 for both myopia progression and axial elongation after adjusting for age. Conclusions Myopia progression in summer months was approximately 60% of that seen in winter, and axial elongation was likewise significantly less in summer. It is unclear whether more time spent outdoors in summer vs. winter is a contributing factor, or the difference in progression rates is a result of “seasonal” variations in the intensity or amount of close work performed. These results indicate that studies of potential myopia treatment strategies should be at least 12 months in duration to take seasonal variations into account.