Did you know ...

Almost one half of 11- to 13-year-olds in Asian cities suffer from shortsightedness. This is due in part to the major strain exerted on the eyes in near vision, and also in part to genetics. Six in ten Asian children have at least one parent who suffers from shortsightedness, or myopia, which can increase each year up to puberty.

New eyeglass lenses are now available, which counter this deterioration. MyoVision lenses from Carl Zeiss make it possible to slow the progression of shortsightedness in children who have at least one shortsighted parent by as much as 30 percent on average. This has been verified in tests conducted with more than 200 shortsighted children and adolescents in China.

How does this lens work? A special lens design sends a sort of signal to the eye in order to reduce further growth of the eyeball. At the same time, however, the central image of the object seen by the wearer is projected directly onto the retina and the little eyeglass wearers have crystal-clear vision. Carl Zeiss is currently selling MyoVision in countries where significant demand exists: this new type of lens has been available in China, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea since April – and will soon be available around the world.

_{1) Clinical trial of 210 Chinese children between the ages of 6 and 16 years old over a period of 12 months. 50 children wearing MyoVision lenses and 50 children standard single vision lenses. Result is achieved in a subgroup (19 children out of 50 wearing MyoVision lenses) between the ages of 6 to 12 years old and with at least one myopic parent. Sankaridurg et al, Optometry and Vision Science, Vol 87, No. 9, September 2010; pp 631-641.}

December 1, 2010