SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Ophthalmology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1640403
This article is part of the Research TopicMyopia in Childhood and AdolescenceView all 14 articles
Effects of repeated low-level red light therapy on myopia progression in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Eye College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 2Department of Optometry and Pediatric Ophthalmology, Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 3Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Ophthalmopathy Prevention & Cure and Visual Function Protection with TCM Laboratory, Chengdu, China
- 4Retinal Image Technology and Chronic Vascular Disease Prevention & Control and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
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Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effects of repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy in intervening in the progression of myopia in children. Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI databases for relevant studies published from the inception of the databases to April 30, 2025. Subsequently, studies were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and basic information and outcome data of the included studies were recorded. The risk of bias in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies was assessed using the RoB 2.0 tool and the NOS, respectively. Finally, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4, and meta-regression, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias assessment were conducted using STATA 17. Results: A total of 22 studies were included in this study, involving 2,638 participants. Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the RLRL group had a slower axial elongation, a lower progression of spherical equivalent refraction (SER), and a greater change in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT). The changes in axial length (AL) at the 6th, 12th, and 24th months of follow-up in the RLRL group relative to the control group were -0.22 mm (95% CI: -0.25, -0.18; P<0.00001), -0.30 mm (95% CI: -0.36, -0.24; P<0.00001), and -0.61 mm (95% CI: -0.71, -0.52; P<0.00001), respectively. The corresponding changes in SER at these time points were 0.40 D (95% CI: 0.31, 0.50; P<0.00001), 0.61 D (95% CI: 0.47, 0.76; P<0.00001), and 1.33 D (95% CI: 0.62, 2.03; P=0.0002). Additionally, the changes in SFCT at the 6th and 12th months of follow-up were 31.21 μm (95% CI: 22.03, 40.38; P<0.00001) and 29.72 μm (95% CI: 19.53, 39.92; P<0.00001), respectively. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis revealed that the baseline equivalent refractive error and treatment frequency primarily contributed to the heterogeneity observed in this study. Conclusion: This meta-analysis confirmed that RLRL therapy can effectively delay the progression of myopia in children, and the efficacy is related to the degree of myopia. However, further research is needed in the future to investigate its long-term safety, dose-response relationship, and rebound risk, thereby optimizing the treatment regimen.
Keywords: Systematic review1, Meta-analysis2, myopia3, repeated low-level red light4, Children5
Received: 03 Jun 2025; Accepted: 29 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fan, Yu, Jiang, Wei, Zhang, Xie and Duan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Junguo Duan, Eye College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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