Effectiveness of Low-Dose Atropine (0.01% to 0.05%) in Reducing Myopia Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abdullah S Alqahtani,1– 3 Salma Hamdan Almarwani,2,3 Basmah Saeed Alweal,2,3 Mohammad Albadri,2,3 Lama Nasser Alghamdi,2,3 Bushra Wadi Bin Saddiq,4 Ahmed Salah Morad4 1Department of Ophthalmology, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4General Medicine Practice Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Salma Hamdan Almarwani, Email [email protected]: Low-dose atropine has been increasingly investigated as a pharmacological intervention to slow myopia progression in children. However, variability in atropine concentrations and reported outcomes across randomised clinical trials has led to uncertainty regrading its overall efficacy and safety. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of low-dose atropine eye drops (0.01– 0.05%) in slowing myopia progression in children.Patients and Methods: This review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025635523). A comprehensive search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedLine, and the Cochrane Library was conducted in January 2025. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials from 2019 to 2024 involving children aged 4– 18 years with progressive myopia. Low-dose atropine concentrations evaluated across studies included 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.025%, and 0.05%, compared with placebo or control interventions. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool were performed independently by multiple reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4 on Mean changes in axial length and spherical equivalent. Fixed or random effects models were applied based on heterogeneity (I2).Results: Thirteen randomized controlled trials involving 2529 children were included. Low-dose atropine (0.01– 0.05%) significantly reduced axial elongation compared with placebo (mean difference [MD]: − 0.11 mm; 95% CI: − 0.13 to − 0.09; p < 0.00001) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 92%). Similarly, atropine was effective in slowing spherical equivalent progression (MD: +0.24 D; 95% CI: +0.14 to +0.33; p < 0.00001; I2 = 79%). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Risk of bias was generally low across included trials, particularly for randomisation and incomplete outcome data, although some studies showed concerns related to participants blinding and outcome assessment. No substantial evidence of publication bias was observed.Conclusion: Low-dose atropine (0.01– 0.05%) may be an effective and generally safe intervention for slowing myopia progression in children. While the findings support its potential role in myopia control, further long-term trials are needed to clarify optimal dosing strategies and sustained post-treatment effects.Keywords: myopia, low-dose atropine, axial length, spherical equivalent, children