Vision Care Expert Launches Educational Resource – ManageMyopia.org

New website provides vision care professionals with easy-to-navigate resource on latest research and practice management tips for a condition affecting millions

SAN BRUNO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To help better manage one of the primary contributors to global vision loss – myopia – Thomas Aller, OD, FBCLA, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the disease, has launched an educational and informational website, ManageMyopia.org. The clinically reviewed resource will summarize the latest data on myopia so that management of the disease is easier for busy eye care professionals (ECPs) to find, analyze and apply.

Dr. Aller, who has been conducting myopia control research for more than 25 years, is the clinical content editor and curator for www.ManageMyopia.org. Dr. Aller holds several patents in the field of myopia and has enjoyed a long collaboration with leading myopia researchers. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, as well as an Adjunct Professor, University of Houston College of Optometry. Additionally, Dr. Aller is on the Clinical Guidelines Committee for the International Myopia Institute, a Scientific, Clinical Advisor for TreeHouse Eyes, an organization dedicated to finding myopia treatments for children, and on the Advisory Board for Visioneering Technologies, Inc., the makers of the NaturalVue® (etafilcon A) Multifocal 1 Day Contact Lenses.

Supporting Dr. Aller in curating content for the website will be an Advisory Board comprised of several of the nation’s leading vision care experts. Advisory Board members include:

• Jeffrey Cooper, MS, OD, FAAO, Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry.
• S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, President and Medical Director of North Suburban Vision Consultants, Ltd. and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago’s Department of Ophthalmology.
• Alan N. Glazier, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, Founder of the Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care, Founder of ODs on Facebook and ODsonFB.com, as well as the MyopiaInstitute.com.
• Somi Oh OD, FIAO, Orthokeratologist of Eye Boutique Optometry in Santa Clara, Calif., Consultant for Advance Vision Center of Optometry in San Jose, Calif., and of Dreamlens Research Co. in Seoul, Korea.
• Christine Wildsoet, DipAppSc(Optom) BSc (PharmHons) PhD, FAAO, Professor at the School of Optometry/Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley. Wildsoet also heads the Berkeley Myopia Research Group, chairs a committee for the International Myopia Institute, and serves on the advisory board for MyFun, a European-based myopia research consortium.

The informative and engaging new website features the latest data highlights from research and peer-reviewed journals on leading-edge therapies for myopia, with a focus on evidence-based clinical data, practical treatment options, and hands-on management strategies. ManageMyopia.org also features streamlined navigation and a responsive, user-friendly interface to ensure easy access to information on mobile, tablet and desktop computers.

According to Dr. Aller, myopia, or nearsightedness, is the most common refractive error in the world. In people with myopia, their eyes do not bend light (refraction) correctly, resulting in items at a distance appearing blurry. Myopia now affects 100 million Americans, with prevalence rising from 25% (1971-1972) to 41.6% (1999-2004).¹ It is a major risk factor for ocular diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, choroidal retinal degeneration, and retinal detachment. ² Vision care professionals are concerned about the impact of myopia in children where it can become more severe over time, even resulting in blindness, if not treated.

“Myopia is one of the principal causes of vision deterioration worldwide, and it is increasing here in the U.S. and globally,” said Dr. Aller. “The good news is that new research and promising modalities are being rapidly introduced. With ManageMyopia.org, ECPs will have immediate access to a centralized source of carefully vetted data developed to help them provide better vision for their patients.”

^1Cooper, J., Schulman, E., Jamal, N. (2012). Current Status on the Development and Treatment of Myopia. Optometry. 83(5):179-199.

^2 Huang J, et al. (2016). Efficacy Comparison of 16 Interventions for Myopia Control in Children. Ophthalmology. 123(4): 697-708

The ManageMyopia.org website is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Visioneering Technologies Inc.