赤色光による近視治療

短波長のバイオレットライトが近視を抑制するのは有名だが、赤色光も効果があるという発表(Ophthalmology誌)であったので、紹介します。

Participants: Two hundred sixty-four eligible children 8 to 13 years of age with myopia of cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of -1.00 to -5.00 diopters (D), astigmatism of 2.50 D or less, anisometropia of 1.50 D or less, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 0.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution or more were enrolled in July and August 2019. Follow-up was completed in September 2020.
Methods: Children were assigned randomly to the intervention group (RLRL treatment plus single-vision spectacle [SVS]) and the control group (SVS). The RLRL treatment was provided by a desktop light therapy device that emits red light of 650-nm wavelength at an illuminance level of approximately 1600 lux and a power of 0.29 mW for a 4-mm pupil (class I classification) and was administered at home under supervision of parents for 3 minutes per session, twice daily with a minimum interval of 4 hours, 5 days per week.

８歳〜１３歳の近視264例で
「眼鏡装用＋週５回1日２回３分ずつ赤色光を見る」
　　 vs
「眼鏡装用のみ」
を比較した。

その結果、

Results: Among 264 randomized participants, 246 children (93.2%) were included in the analysis (117 in the RLRL group and 129 in the SVS group). Adjusted 12-month axial elongation and SER progression were 0.13 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.17mm) and -0.20 D (95% CI, -0.29 to -0.11D) for RLRL treatment and 0.38 mm (95% CI, 0.34-0.42 mm) and -0.79 D (95% CI, -0.88 to -0.69 D) for SVS treatment. The differences in axial elongation and SER progression were 0.26 mm (95% CI, 0.20-0.31 mm) and -0.59D (95% CI, -0.72 to -0.46 D) between the RLRL and SVS groups. No severe adverse events (sudden vision loss ≥2 lines or scotoma), functional visual loss indicated by BCVA, or structural damage seen on OCT scans were observed.

Conclusions: Repeated low-level red-light therapy is a promising alternative treatment for myopia control in children with good user acceptability and no documented functional or structural damage.

1年後

「眼鏡装用＋週５回1日２回３分ずつ赤色光を見る」は眼軸長0.13mm伸長
　　 vs
「眼鏡装用のみ」は、眼軸長0.38mm伸長

「眼鏡装用＋週５回1日２回３分ずつ赤色光を見る」は－0.20D進行
　　 vs
「眼鏡装用のみ」は、－0.79D進行

これは、坪田先生のバイオレットライト論文(cf.Table S2)よりも効果がある(ようにみえる)。650nmの赤色光ランプは簡単に製造でき、近視治療の朗報(かもしれない)。

↑で、奥歯にものを挟んでいる理由は

• 論文にしては、結果の評価が甘い。結果の統計処理が記されていない。
• 「安全性が確認された」がやけに強調されているあたり、以前紹介した鍼治療論文と近似している。

つまり、悠久の国由来の論文は、ひとしなみには評価しがたいなぁ～みたいな。。
全き個人の感想であります。