Increasing Recognition of Myopia as a Public Health Concern

Support from the American Medical Association (AMA) to classify myopia, or nearsightedness, as a disease created momentum to increase access to evidence-based treatment and stave off a public health crisis, according to the nation’s largest ophthalmology group.

Resolution Approved

At its annual meeting in June 2026, the AMA House of Delegates approved a resolution to recognize that myopia is a significant and increasing public health concern warranting public health outreach, improved screening in children, and prevention efforts.

Introduced by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) delegation to the AMA, the resolution calls for public education initiatives to increase awareness about the risks of progressive myopia and the availability of interventions that can slow progression. The resolution called on CMS to classify myopia as a disease to ensure that patients can receive appropriate treatment and insurance coverage.

Myopia Beyond Impaired Vision

Classifying myopia as a disease would help draw attention to the fact that myopia is not limited to impaired distance vision but increases the subsequent risk of vision-threatening eye complications, said Rupa Wong, MD, of the Honolulu Eye Clinic, and a spokesperson for the AAO.

“It’s not just about wearing thicker glasses. It’s about elongation of the eyeball that occurs when you’re a child,” Wong stated. “Especially with severe nearsightedness, anything over minus 6 [diopters], and you’re going to increase the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, myopic maculopathy, and retinal detachment. Those are all things that happen in tremendously increased frequency in individuals with nearsightedness,” she pointed out.

Many adults mistakenly think they are cured of nearsightedness after a LASIK or PRK [photoreactive keratotomy] procedure. The need for annual eye exams persists to assess retinal health and check for breaks, tears, or small retinal detachments.

Understanding the Risk

Wong added, “Their eyeball is still longer than the average adult eyeball, which is what increases the risk. The longer the eyeball is, the more the retina is stretched and thinned, and that’s what causes the increased risk of vision-threatening complications.”

The AMA resolution supports an AAO initiative launched in 2021. In a September 2026 follow-up, the AAO noted that myopia prevalence in the U.S. has almost doubled since the 1970s, currently affecting 41.6% of the population. Myopia has become a global issue, as the World Health Organization predicts that half the population will be affected by the condition by 2050, and up to 20% of them will be at risk of myopia-related vision-threatening complications.

Interventions for Children

Early diagnosis and intervention in childhood are essential, said Wong. By early adulthood, untreated myopia cannot be reversed, at least not with currently available interventions. However, some interventions can help children with myopia:

• Essilor Stellest eyeglasses that can slow the myopia development in children ages 6 to 12 years
• Multifocal disposable contact lenses for 8- to 12-year-olds, worn during the day and discarded at night
• Hard contact lenses (orthokeratology) for children 6 or older, providing short-term improvement
• Low-dose atropine eyedrops for children ages 5-18, proven useful in Asian children, but an FDA advisory committee will consider broader approval at a meeting in late October
• Behavioral change, specifically, spending more time outdoors, based on evidence that 2 hours a day outdoors can slow myopia

Improving awareness of interventions remains a key obstacle. “Most parents aren’t even told that treatments exist,” said Wong, who has three children. “We hope that increasing attention on this issue will help shift the national conversation on children’s eye health. Kids’ eye health is a public health issue. It’s not a parenting issue.”

In 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a consensus report saying myopia should be classified as a disease.

Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 2527, the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act) has the potential to become the first national program to support initiatives in children’s vision and eye health.

Disclaimer: The information presented is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized recommendations and treatments.

Fuente: https://www.medpagetoday.com/ophthalmology/generalophthalmology/123157