title: The effect of low-concentration atropine combined with auricular acupoint stimulation in myopia control.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of myopia control between patients treated with low-concentration atropine eye drops combined with auricular acupoint stimulation and those treated with atropine alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial in a regional teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients received either topical 0.125% atropine nightly plus auricular acupoint stimulation (0.125A + ACU group) or topical 0.125% atropine alone nightly (0.125A group).
  
  
  METHODS
  The changes in spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and intraocular pressure (IOP) per year were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three of 110 total patients (66.4%) completed at least 6 months of follow-up. Patients in the 0.125A + ACU group had less myopic progression and AL elongation (-0.41 diopter and 0.24 mm/year) than those in the 0.125A group (-0.66 diopter and 0.32 mm/year) (mean follow-up 14.7 months, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02, respectively). The ACD increased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (0.076 mm vs. 0.023 mm/year, p = 0.0004). IOP decreased more in the 0.125A + ACU group than in the 0.125A group (-1.01 mmHg vs. -0.13 mmHg/year, p = 0.007). A decrease of 1 mmHg of IOP correlated with a decrease of myopic progression of 0.021 diopter/year (p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients treated with 0.125% atropine eye drops plus auricular acupoint stimulation had less myopic progression, less axial length elongation, more anterior chamber deepening, and greater IOP reductions than those treated with 0.125% atropine alone. Auricular acupoint stimulation in combination with low-concentration topical atropine was beneficial for myopia control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ythyth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D020831:Acupuncture, Ear; D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001285:Atropine
keywords: Acupuncture; Anterior chamber depth; Atropine; Auricular acupoint; Axial length; Intraocular pressure; Myopia