Successful Completion of the 5th Indian Myopia Awareness and Research Conference (IMARC)

The 5th Indian Myopia Awareness and Research Conference (IMARC) by LVPEI proved a resonating success, drawing participation from over 180 delegates, primarily senior ophthalmologists and optometrists from across India and beyond.

It was a landmark event that brought researchers and clinicians together on one platform to discuss myopia, featuring a mix of scientific talks, clinical researcher perspectives, open discussions, innovation pitches, and an engaging poster session.

Here are some key learnings from the event:
      –  Myopia is now classified as a disease.
      –  It’s prevalence ranges from 3%–25% in different parts of the country, with causes remaining unclear and awareness across stakeholders still low.
      –  Myopia control is multimodal. There is evidence that lifestyle changes, optical options, and pharmacological therapy work and new optical / light-based / digital interventions are emerging fast
      –  Low dose and high dose atropine drops must be monitored closely for side effects.
      –  Laser treatment for myopic lesions remains debatable.
      –  New markers of pathologic myopia are being identified.
      –  Caution is recommended in managing myopia among individuals with syndromes and strabismus.
      –  While myopia calculators and percentile charts exist, caution must be exercised in application considering the ethnic variation in datasets.
      –  Current guidelines favor personalized myopia management over uniform protocols.

Mark your calendars! The 6th IMARC event will be held from November 12-14, 2027.