Myopia has rapidly increased from 23% to 34% globally from 2000 to 2020 and could reach 50% by 2050. It poses serious risks, including myopic maculopathy and retinal detachment. Genetic factors, particularly family history, significantly influence myopia onset. Increased educational demands and near work are major environmental contributors. Time outdoors acts as a protective factor, reducing myopia incidence by up to 45%. This critical public health issue requires action from clinicians and educators to mitigate risk, especially in genetically susceptible children.
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.
William M. Boyd, MD, director of the FDA’s Division of Ophthalmology, discussed the agency’s evolving approaches to clinical evidence, trial design, and expedited regulatory pathways at the 2026 Retina World Congress meeting.