Cooper · Eye & contact lens 2018 · narrative review · n=?

A Review of Current Concepts of the Etiology and Treatment of Myopia.

Cited 305 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review of etiology, risk factors, and treatment literature

PubMed 29901472 · doi:10.1097/ICL.0000000000000499 · record verified 2026-08-29

What was done

The authors reviewed literature on the etiology, epidemiology, and management of myopia, summarizing animal and human research on genetic and environmental contributors as well as meta-analyses of interventions including atropine, progressive addition spectacle lenses, orthokeratology, and multifocal contact lenses.

What was found

The abstract reports that myopia affects over 50% of the population in many industrialized countries, and axial elongation complications are the sixth leading cause of blindness. Risk is associated with parental myopia, educational attainment, and time spent on near work. The abstract provides no quantitative effect sizes or numerical outcomes for the reviewed treatments.

Why it matters

Progressive myopia is linked to vision-threatening conditions including macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts. Synthesizing risk factors and treatment strategies informs clinical efforts to mitigate progression.

Limits

The abstract does not specify systematic review methods, search dates, study inclusion criteria, sample sizes, or quantitative outcome measures for any of the interventions discussed.

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