A new three-year study is strengthening the case for repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy in myopia management, with researchers reporting sustained effectiveness alongside strong safety outcomes.

Adding further weight to the findings is independent analysis on the Eyerising Myopia Management Device from a world-leading authority in ophthalmic laser, Emeritus Professor John Marshall, from University College London.

Published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology,1 the multicentre real-world study of RLRL for myopia control followed 362 children and adolescents with myopia, including a cohort treated with RLRL for at least three years.

Until recently, most published studies reported follow-up duration of up to two years. A key question for clinicians has, therefore, been whether the benefits and safety of this therapy can be sustained over longer periods, as myopia typically requires multi-year treatment.

The authors of this latest study found that after three years, more than 72% of patients achieved controlled myopia progression, defined as minimal axial elongation, while average axial length growth remained low. The therapy also demonstrated even higher control rates over shorter treatment durations.

Crucially, safety findings were equally reassuring. Best-corrected visual acuity was maintained in all patients. Full-field electroretinography showed no treatment duration-dependent differences, suggesting no severe adverse events, even after three years of therapy.

SAFETY VALIDATION

Providing additional validation to the safety of RLRL was the independent analysis from Prof Marshall, a leading authority in ophthalmic laser– tissue interactions, and Dr Karl Schulmeister, PhD, a globally recognised expert in laser safety and former President of the International Laser Display Association Laser Safety Committee.

While their manuscript has been submitted for publication, Prof Marshall spoke to the International Red Light Ophthalmic Society Symposium at the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in February this year.2

Prof Marshall, whose work has helped shape international laser safety standards, evaluated the technology underpinning the Eyerising RLRL device and concluded that retinal exposure levels remain below thresholds associated with photothermal damage.

Drawing on decades of research into how light interacts with ocular tissue, he noted that the device operates at very low energy levels within established safety classifications, with no evidence of acute or delayed retinal injury observed in testing.

References available at mivision.com.au.