Does Iris Color Affect Atropine? - Scorecard - MDSpire

Does Iris Color Affect Atropine?

Meta-analysis examines whether iris color influences atropine 0.01% and 0.05% efficacy in myopia

  • June 2, 2026

  • 3 min

Share

Clinical Scorecard: Does Iris Color Affect Atropine?

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionMyopia management
Key MechanismsAtropine binding to melanin in the iris may influence therapeutic concentrations.
Target PopulationChildren aged 5–16 years with myopia
Care SettingOphthalmology clinics

Key Highlights

  • Low-dose atropine (0.01%) shows differing efficacy based on iris color.
  • Children with non-brown irides experienced less myopia progression compared to placebo.
  • No significant treatment effect observed in children with brown irides at 0.01% concentration.
  • Atropine 0.05% showed no iris color-related differences in efficacy.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • Assess myopia progression in children aged 5–16 years.

Management

  • Consider low-dose atropine for myopia management.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Monitor myopia progression and treatment response.

Risks

  • Potential for reduced efficacy of low-dose atropine in patients with darker irides.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Children with myopia, particularly those with varying iris colors.

Atropine 0.01% may be less effective in patients with brown irides; consider higher concentrations if response is limited.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Evaluate iris color when prescribing atropine for myopia management.

Related Resources & Content

Original Source(s)

Does Iris Color Affect Atropine?

  • June 2, 2026

Related Content

Music May Ease Anxiety in Eye Clinics

Background music and multimedia exposure were associated with lower patient-reported anxiety in a quasi-experimental ophthalmology clinic study that used existing clinic audiovisual infrastructure at no additional cost.

“Control the Contrast” Debuts Globally

SightGlass Vision launches a global campaign to educate clinicians on contrast management for slowing myopia progression

  • May 13, 2026

  • 2 min
Inside Focus A-Eye’s Inaugural Meeting

Sharon Bakalash, MD, PhD, CBA, describes how the interdisciplinary pre-ARVO forum explored ways to move AI from concept to clinic.