CORE Highlights Emerging Focus on Pre-Myopia in Latest Contact Lens Update
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has released the newest edition of Contact Lens Update, spotlighting the growing clinical and scientific interest in pre-myopia. This evolving area of study is reshaping how clinicians assess risk, intervene early, and manage myopia in children.
The bi-monthly, open-access publication provides eye care professionals with expert guidance, clinical insights, and practical tools to support early detection and prevention of myopia. The latest issue features contributions from four global experts who share strategies, emerging technologies, and evidence-based recommendations for both pediatric and primary care settings. The publication is available at no cost at ContactLensUpdate.com.
“Understanding and addressing pre-myopia has the potential to transform clinical practice, enabling eye care professionals to identify at-risk children earlier and better implement targeted interventions,” said Daddi Fadel, clinical scientist at CORE. “With growing evidence and innovative management approaches, clinicians can now offer more personalized, proactive care that aims to reduce the burden of myopia later in life.”
Amy Chow, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) in Hong Kong, opens the issue with an editorial examining key myopia risk factors—including low hyperopic reserve, rapid axial elongation, limited outdoor activity, intensive near work, and parental myopia. Ms. Chow reviews predictive models and discusses preventive strategies such as encouraging more outdoor time, promoting healthy near-work habits, and implementing evidence-based interventions like low-dose atropine, myopia-control spectacles, and emerging red-light therapy.
Pauline Kang, associate professor and deputy head at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, explores the critical importance of early identification of pre-myopia through cycloplegic refraction and risk-factor assessment. Her feature article emphasizes that repeated red-light therapy and low-dose atropine currently provide the strongest evidence for slowing axial growth and delaying myopia onset. She also notes that while outdoor time and educational efforts offer modest, low-risk benefits, clinicians must weigh safety concerns around red-light therapy and rebound effects with atropine.
In the issue’s clinical case section, Wes McCann, optometrist, lecturer, and owner of 12 Canadian practices, illustrates how combining axial-length monitoring, lifestyle counseling, and early therapeutic intervention can delay the onset and progression of myopia. Two pediatric case studies demonstrate how proactive management—including the use of low-dose atropine and myopia-control lenses—can help reduce the risk of high myopia and its long-term ocular complications.
Zhuzhu Liu, ophthalmologist and researcher at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in China, presents new clinical evidence from a randomized trial showing that repeated low-intensity red-light exposure can slow axial growth and refractive progression in pre-myopic children. The findings suggest that early sub-foveal choroidal thickening may mediate this effect and serve as a predictive marker for 12-month myopia-control outcomes.
In addition to current and past issues, ContactLensUpdate.com offers a comprehensive resource library with professional tools, patient education materials, and complimentary training videos produced by the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE). Users can also access an extensive industry glossary and sign up for email delivery of future editions.
The Contact Lens Update series is supported by the educational divisions of Alcon, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.