A Spanish study of 0.01% atropine eyedrop use over five years found it safe and effective in controlling myopia progression.

Led by Dr Manuel Moriche-Carretero, Infanta Sofia University Hospital, Madrid, the study involved 361 European children, 184 of whom received 0.01% atropine drops once every night. The control group received neither treatment nor placebo. All children were examined every six months for the five years of follow-up, with atropine 0.01% showing an efficacy of 31.5% and 46.9% in the control of spherical equivalent and axial length increase, respectively.

The full study was published in The British Journal of Ophthalmology in June.