Blue-light filtering spectacles probably make no difference to eye strain, eye health or sleep quality

Spectacles that are marketed to filter out blue light probably make no difference to eye strain caused by computer use or to sleep quality, according toa Cochrane review of 17 randomised controlled trials of the best available evidence so far.  Nor did the review, led by authors from the University of Melbourne and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, find any evidence that blue-light filtering lenses protect against damage to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.Blue-light filtering lenses, also known as blue-light blocking spectacles, have been increasingly prescribed or recommended, often by opticians, since the early 2000s.An Australian survey-based study in 2018 found that, of the 372 optometrists who responded, 75% prescribed these lenses despite acknowledging limitations in the evidence to support their use.   TheCochrane Eyes and Vision team set out to assess the effects of blue-light filtering lenses compared with non-blue-light filtering lenses for improving visual performance, providing protection to the retina and improving sleep quality. They analysed data from all the randomised controlled trials they could find on the topic and found 17 trials from six countries. Of the 17 trials, 12 were conducted in Australia, the Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, the USA and the UK. Five studies did not report the country in which the trial was conducted. Most of the studies were published after 2010, suggesting a growing researc...
Source: Cochrane News and Events - Category: Information Technology Authors: Source Type: news