To what extent can 0.01% atropine sulfate eye drops (EIKANCE) delay myopia?

0.01% Atropine Sulfate Eye Drops (EIKANCE) is one of the most watched "low-concentration atropine" solutions in the global management of myopia in children in recent years. In the field of ophthalmology in Japan, Singapore, Europe and the United States, low-concentration atropine has become a mainstream strategy to prevent and delay the development of myopia. Its characteristics are that it does not affect daytime learning, does not significantly interfere with pupil size, and has a relatively stable delaying trend. To evaluate "how much myopia can be delayed", it is necessary to combine international research directions, children's myopia development models and long-term observation conclusions, and cannot simply express it in numbers. Therefore, the following analysis will be carried out from the three dimensions of trend, mechanism and clinical observation.

From a mechanism perspective, low-concentration atropine does not directly change the axial structure of the eye, but affects specific receptors in the eyeball adjustment system, weakening the biological signals brought by near vision, thereby reducing the eyeball elongation speed. Overseas ophthalmology consensus generally believes that 0.01% concentration strikes a balance between "reducing side effects" and "retaining part of the intervention effect", which is also an important reason why it is widely used in Asian children.

From the long-term observation trend,The greatest value of the 0.01% concentration is to "slow down the progression of myopia", especially in the age group where the eye axis develops rapidly. Clinical practice in many countries has shown that in children who use this concentration, the axial lengthening speed usually shows a "steady slowing down" trend, that is, the axial growth no longer shows the original linear acceleration, but tends to a more gentle rhythm. For clinicians, this change is not measured by a specific numerical value, but rather in the sense that the natural course of the disease has been altered. In other words, it is more like extending the safe range of eyeball development, thereby reducing the risk of developing high myopia in the future.

Reference materials:https://www.eikance.com.au/