Repeated Low-level Red-light Therapy: The Next Wave in Myopia Management?
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<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Significance</jats:title> <jats:p>Exposure to long-wavelength light has been proposed as a potential intervention to slow myopia progression in children. This article provides an evidence-based review of the safety and myopia control efficacy of red light and discusses the potential mechanisms by which red light may work to slow childhood myopia progression.</jats:p> <jats:p>The spectral composition of the ambient light in the visual environment has powerful effects on eye growth and refractive development. Studies in mammalian and primate animal models (macaque monkeys and tree shrews) have shown that daily exposure to long wavelength (red or amber) light promotes slower eye growth and hyperopia development and inhibits myopia induced by form deprivation or minus lens wear. Consistent with these results, several recent randomized controlled clinical trials in Chinese children have demonstrated that exposure to red light for three minutes twice a day significantly reduces myopia progression and axial elongation. These findings have collectively provided strong evidence for the potential of using red light as a myopia control intervention in clinical practice. However, several questions remain unanswered. In this article, we review the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of red light as a myopia control intervention, describe potential mechanisms, and discuss some key unresolved issues that require consideration before red light can be broadly translated into myopia control in children.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
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Salzano, Aaron D, Safal Khanal, Nathan L Cheung, Katherine K Weise, Erin C Jenewein, Darryl M Horn, Donald O Mutti, Timothy J Gawne, et al. (n.d.). Repeated Low-level Red-light Therapy: The Next Wave in Myopia Management?. Optometry and Vision Science. 10.1097/opx.0000000000002083 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/29333.
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Nathan Cheung
Dr. Nathan Cheung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University and serves as the Program Director of the Pediatric Optometry Residency and Externship Programs. He specializes in pediatric eye care, with clinical interests in strabismus, amblyopia, infant aphakia, and pediatric myopia control. He is actively involved in multi-center clinical trials through the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and serves as Duke’s site principal investigator for numerous NIH- and industry-sponsored studies.
He completed his Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a residency in Pediatric Optometry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He joined the Duke Eye Center as a Medical Instructor in 2016, was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2021 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Cheung directs the Pediatric Optometry Residency and plays a key role in medical and resident education, with a focus on amblyopia management, myopia control, and pediatric contact lens use. He has mentored dozens of students and residents and regularly presents at national conferences, including the American Academy of Optometry.
Dr. Cheung’s scholarly work includes over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, several book chapters, and invited articles. He is a frequent contributor to clinical research in amblyopia treatment, virtual reality-based visual field testing, and pediatric ocular imaging. He serves on multiple PEDIG committees and was recognized with the Excellence in Medical Education Award in 2025.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Dr. Cheung remains committed to improving access to pediatric eye care, advancing research in childhood eye disease, and training the next generation of optometric and ophthalmic providers.
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