Science & Technology, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – A comprehensive examination of blue-light filtering lenses incorporated in eyewear has been conducted through a systematic review, revealing that this popular feature is improbable to alleviate the eye strain commonly linked with the use of digital devices in the immediate term. This discovery challenges assertions about their potential advantages.
Conducted by a team of University of Melbourne researchers, the review comprised an analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials. Published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, this analysis unveiled that the clinical evidence does not corroborate claims asserting that blue-light filtering lenses have a substantial impact on sleep quality or provide safeguarding against retinal damage.
The assessment of these interventions, conducted over a ‘short-term’ span, encompassed a duration ranging from two hours to one week of usage.
Despite the fact that digital devices equipped with screens, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, emit a certain degree of blue light, the assertion that blue-light filtering lenses, often referred to as ‘blue-blocking’ lenses, mitigate digital eye strain has been met with skepticism.
The research team meticulously examined data from studies conducted across 6 different nations, encompassing a collective participant pool of 619 individuals.
As the senior author of the review, Associate Professor Laura Downie, who also heads the Downie Laboratory: Anterior Eye, Clinical Trials, and Research Translation Unit at the University of Melbourne, elucidated that these findings hold relevance for both eye care professionals and consumers.
She indicated that the investigation suggests that there is no short-term benefits associated with the use of blue-light filtering eyeglass lenses in reducing eye strain related to computer usage, especially when compared to eyeglass lenses that do not incorporate blue-light filtering.
“It is also currently unclear whether these lenses affect vision quality or sleep-related outcomes, and no conclusions could be drawn about any potential effects on retinal health in the longer term.
“People should be aware of these findings when deciding whether to purchase these spectacle lenses.”
Associate Professor Downie indicated that the lenses get regularly prescribed to patients and that a lot of marketing claims are present in regards to their potential advantages, where patients can get confused.
She further indicated that the outcomes of their review, based on the present, most suited available evidence, demonstrate that the evidence is inconclusive with no certainty for these claims.
“Our findings do not support the prescription of blue-light filtering lenses to the general population. These results are relevant to a broad range of stakeholders, including eye care professionals, patients, researchers and the broader community.”
Dr. Sumeer Singh, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Downie Laboratory at the University of Melbourne and the primary author of the review, emphasized the necessity for robust, extensive clinical studies with extended follow-up periods involving a broader spectrum of populations. These studies, he stated, are imperative to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the potential impacts of blue-light filtering eyeglass lenses on visual performance, sleep patterns, and overall eye health.
He highlighted the significance of exploring whether the effectiveness and safety outcomes of such lenses differ among various demographic groups and when utilizing different lens types.
Dr. Singh pointed out that the quantity of blue light our eyes encounter from artificial sources, such as computer screens, is approximately one thousandth of the amount we receive from natural daylight.
Moreover, he noted that blue-light filtering lenses typically eliminate around 10-25 percent of blue light, contingent on the specific product. He explained that achieving higher levels of blue-light filtration would entail employing lenses with a conspicuous amber tint, which, in turn, would significantly influence color perception.
This research was conducted collaboratively, in partnership with colleagues from City, University of London, and Monash University.
