Low-level red-light therapy shows sustained myopia control over three years

Repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) therapy was associated with effective control of myopia progression and showed a favorable safety profile over 3 years in a real-world cohort of myopic children and adolescents.

The study included 362 myopic children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years who were prescribed RLRL therapy and grouped by treatment duration, ranging from at least 0.5 years to more than 3 years. All participants received RLRL therapy twice daily for 3 minutes per session, 5 to 7 days per week.

Among those treated for ≥3 years, 72.53% achieved satisfactory myopia control, defined as annual axial elongation of ≤0.10 mm. In this group, the average axial length change was 0.06 mm per year.

Across all treatment durations, no subjective visual function impairment was reported based on best-corrected visual acuity, and no duration-related changes were observed in objective electroretinogram measurements. Minor, reversible changes on optical coherence tomography were detected in 4 eyes but did not affect visual function.

Reference
Chen Y, Wang W, Xiong R, et al. Three-year efficacy and safety of repeated low-level red-light therapy for myopia control: a multicentre real-world study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2026;bjo-2025-328687. doi: 10.1136/bjo-2025-328687. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41558834.