Upon investigating the impact of intraocular pressure (IOP) on myopia progression in young Chinese patients, researchers found myopia progression was inversely related to IOP. The study suggests there is no causal relationship between the two in school-aged children.

A total of 1,558 seventh grade students from the Anyang Childhood Eye Study participated in the two-year study and three years of follow-up. The team of researchers performed ocular biometry, cycloplegic refraction and air-puff tonometry, then stratified the groups into thirds by IOP and assessed refractive status of each.

They found that the children’s mean baseline IOP was 15.87 ±3.42mm Hg, and their mean change in spherical equivalence was -1.05D. Patients progressing 1D or more had a baseline IOP of 15.69mm Hg and a mean IOP of 15.94mm Hg, whereas those progressing less than 1D had a baseline of 16.09mm Hg and a mean IOP of 16.42mm Hg, the study notes.

“That is, the mean IOP was lower in faster progressing eyes,” the authors said in the study.

While no significant relationship was found between IOP and myopia progression, the study concludes that “lower IOP in progressing myopic eyes may indicate more compliant sclerae.”