DIMS Lens Wear Doesn’t Affect Astigmatism in Myopic Children

This chart from the study shows cyl power changes after one year of DIMS lens wear. The slight difference in diopter cylinder change in astigmatism patients may not be a direct consequence of lens design and material in DIMS lenses, but rather may involve more complex physiological and environmental factors, particularly changes in corneal shape. Photo: Wang Y, et al. Sci Rep. January 13, 2026. Click image to enlarge. Myopia control glasses are emerging as a viable category, as several designs have proven their efficacy in slowing progression of both refractive error and axial elongation. Less well known, however, is their effects on astigmatism. In a recent study, researchers from China aimed to explore the impact of wearing defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses on astigmatism in myopic children. They found that while DIMS produced a small effect on astigmatism, there was no extra progression, and they are a safe and effective option for these patients. The findings were reported in Scientific Reports.A total of 396 myopic children were divided into two cohorts: a DIMS group (48.9%) and a single-vision lens control group (51.1%). The study analyzed the effect of wearing DIMS lenses on changes in spherical equivalent (SE), diopter sphere, diopter cylinder, axial length (AL) and corneal astigmatism after one year.As expected, DIMS lenses slowed myopia progression: The annual SE progression was significantly slower in the DIMS group (-0.30D ±0.45D) and showed significantly attenuated annual AL elongation (-0.16D ±0.20mm).The lenses did not cause additional astigmatism progression, the researchers noted. The change in corneal astigmatism in the DIMS group showed no statistically significant difference compared to the single-vision lens group. “In this study, DIMS produced a smaller effect on astigmatism,” the researchers wrote in their paper. “We still do not know the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon. It is speculated that after myopia control, astigmatism may be somewhat properly managed.”To further analyze the relationship between myopia control and astigmatism changes, as well as possible influencing factors, the authors used multiple linear regression analysis and mixed linear models to explore the relationships among different influencing factors.There was a slight statistically significant difference in diopter cylinder change between the DIMS group (-0.17D ±0.28D) and the single-vision lens group (-0.20D ±0.38D), although this difference became insignificant after controlling for other variables (such as corneal astigmatism and changes in spherical equivalent). Further analysis  supported this conclusion, demonstrating that the independent impact of DIMS lenses on overall astigmatism change was minimal.“In fact, changes in corneal astigmatism and baseline astigmatism had a more pronounced effect on astigmatism change,” the authors explained in their paper. “The study showed a positive correlation between the initial value of corneal astigmatism and its change, implying that greater initial corneal astigmatism was associated with relatively larger changes in astigmatism during follow-up.”Additionally, changes in baseline astigmatism also exerted a certain moderating effect on astigmatism, suggesting that when interpreting astigmatism changes, it is crucial to consider an individual's initial corneal characteristics and diopter cylinder, the authors continued in their paper.Furthermore, corneal morphology can change over time and with age, representing important dynamic factors influencing astigmatism change, they pointed out. Changes in corneal astigmatism may also be related to factors such as age and genetic predisposition.Overall, this study indicates that DIMS lenses and conventional single vision lenses yield similar impacts on astigmatism in practical applications. The change in astigmatism may not be a direct consequence of lens design and material but rather could involve more complex physiological and environmental factors, particularly changes in corneal shape.“This finding provides more nuanced guidance for the use of DIMS lenses and offers important evidence for clinical practice and eyeglass dispensing,” the authors explained in their paper. “In clinical practice, ophthalmologists and optometrists should comprehensively consider the trend of astigmatism change and the characteristics of corneal curvature in individual children, conduct regular monitoring and adjust lens prescriptions in a timely manner.”They add that future research should incorporate dynamic monitoring of ocular growth and development and more refined optical model studies to further elucidate the long-term mechanisms of DIMS lenses' impact on astigmatism. It is also essential, the authors concluded, to consider the potential influence of environmental factors such as visual habits and the duration of near work on astigmatism change, providing more scientific evidence and clinical guidance for the comprehensive prevention and control of myopia and astigmatism in children.Click here for the journal source. Wang Y, Ouyang L, Chen S, et al. The effect of defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses on astigmatism in children with myopia. Sci Rep. January 13, 2026. [Epub ahead of print.] This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.