Huy Tran

Efficacy and safety of low dose atropine and caffeine eye-drops in slowing the rate of myopia progression in children

Abstract

Myopia refers to a condition with a mismatch between ocular refractive power and eye length. It is a global public health issue with nearly 30% worldwide affected and estimates indicating that up to 50% of the populated to be affected in 2050. Higher levels of myopia increase the risk of complications that may result in visual impairment or blindness. For those reasons, an effective and safe intervention to ameliorate myopia progression is critical.

Amongst all the optical and pharmaceutical interventions for myopia control, atropine eye drops were consistently proven to be the most effective in slowing the progression of myopia and were found to have a dose-dependent efficacy. Higher doses of atropine are associated with intolerable side effects such as photophobia and reduced near vision (0.5%-1%) and additionally atropine was cytotoxic to the cornea at doses over 0.038%. Therefore, atropine can be used at only low concentrations. Although 0.01% atropine was effective in slowing myopia progression by nearly 60% with respect to spherical equivalent there was no significant change in slowing eye growth. However, the side effects produced with this concentration were minimal. Therefore, my plan is to assess the efficacy of combining low dose atropine (0.02% and lower) with compounds such as caffeine (approximately 2%) eye drops for it’s effect in slowing myopia. Caffeine or 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine is said to affect dopamine levels that have been found to play a role in myopia and it is possible it plays a role in amplifying the myopia control efficacy observed with low dose atropine.

Current Appointments

Lecturer - Clinical Instructor

Division of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Active Senior Consultant – Medical Director

General Ophthalmology and Neuro-Opthalmology

Myopia Clinic - Hai Yen Eye Care

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Active Member

Vietnam Ophthalmological Society

(Member of International Council of Ophthalmology)

Active Member

North-American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society

Active Member

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Personal Data

Present mailing address:

118 Ly Nam De Street, District 11

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam700000

(084) 090 711-0892 Mobile

(084) 0283 855-9673 Home

huy.tran@haiyeneyecare.com

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

RESEARCH AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Publications

1. Tran HDM, Tran HY, Coroneo M., Tran TD., Pham T., Ho VT., Naduvilath T., Sankaridurg P. Poster presentation “Effects of low concentration atropine on pupillary size and accommodation amplitude in children with myopia”. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO 2019).
2. Sankaridurg P., Tran HDM.The lowdown on low-concentration atropine for myopia progression. Ophthalmology 126, no.1 (2019): 125.
3. Sankaridurg P., Conrad F., Tran H., Zhu J. Controlling progression of myopia: optical and pharmaceutical strategies. Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology (Philadelphia, Pa) 7, no.6 (2018): 405-414.
4. Tran HDM, Tran HY, Tran DT, Jong M., Coroneo M., Sankaridurg P. A review of myopia control with atropine. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 34, no.5(2018): 374-379.
5. Tran HY, TranHDM. Presbyopia treatment by micro-monovision lasik with Carl Zeiss Meditec MEL80. Journal of Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City,ISSN 1859-1779, 2014; 18 (1): 110-114.
6. Nguyen TN, Tran HDM,Trieu ND. Study of floor reconstruction surgery in treatment of blow-out fracture with titanium plates. Journal of Military Pharmaco-Medicine, ISSN 1859-0748, 2016; 41 (9): 190-196

Talks

1. Tran HDM, Tran HY, Sankaridurg P. Presentation “Pharmaceutical strategies for myopia control”. Vietnam ophthalmological conference 2018 – The second International Myopia Conference – Asia Pacific Satellite Ophthalmology Conference APAO 2018.
2. Tran HDM, Tran HY, Sankaridurg P. Presentation “Effects of low concentration atropine on pupillary size and accommodation amplitude in children with myopia”. Ho Chi Minh City Ophthalmology Congress 2019.

Cooperative investigator

4/16-4/17 Evaluation of presbyopia treatment with Raindrop Corneal Inlay in pocket

In the collaboration with Revision Optics, California, U.S.A

Principal Investigator: Yen H. Tran, MD, PhD, Associate Professor

9/18-current Multi-ethnic myopia study (MEMS)

In the collaboration with Brien Holden Vision Insitute to currently enrol and follow 5500 children with myopia, aged between 4-15 years old, in four countries including Australia, China, India, and Vietnam.

Principal Investigator (Vietnam site): Huy DM Tran, MD, MSc

RECOGNITION

Awards and Honours

2009 Best Medical Student award, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, HCM City, Vietnam (Academic awards for top ten excellent students)