Contralateral comparison of blue-filtering and non-blue-filtering intraocular lenses: glare disability, heterochromatic contrast, and photostress recovery

Billy R Hammond Jr¹, Lisa M Renzi¹, Sohel Sachak², Stephen F Brint^3
1Vision Sciences Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; ²Alcon Research Ltd, Fort Worth, Texas; ³Brint Custom Vision, Metairie, Louisiana, USA

Purpose: To compare visual performance in eyes with intraocular lenses (IOLs) that filter short-wave blue light versus contralateral eyes with IOLs that do not filter visible blue light.
Methods: In this prospective, assessor-masked study that was conducted at five clinics in the US, eligible candidates were at least 12 months postimplantation of a control IOL and a contralateral IOL that filtered blue light. Glare disability was defined as the intensity of a white-light annulus that obscured a subject's ability to see a central target. Heterochromatic contrast thresholds were defined as the intensity of a blue-light disk that obscured a central target. Photostress recovery time was the duration required to regain sight of the target after a five-second flash of annulus light.
Results: Fifty-two subjects were evaluated. Mean glare disability was significantly less (P = 0.04) in the blue-filtering IOL group (1.97 ± 0.44 log µW/cm²) than in the control group (1.88 ± 0.43 log µW/cm²). Mean heterochromatic contrast threshold was significantly higher (P = 0.0003) in the blue-filtering IOL group (0.36 ± 0.43 log µW/cm²) than in the control IOL group (0.15 ± 0.49 log µW/cm²). Geometric mean photostress recovery time was significantly faster (P = 0.02) in the blue-filtering IOL group (21 ± 3 seconds) than in the control IOL group (26 ± 3 seconds).
Conclusions: Glare disability was significantly lower, heterochromatic contrast threshold was significantly better, and recovery from photostress was significantly faster in the eyes with blue-filtering IOLs than in the contralateral control eyes with IOLs that did not filter blue light.

Keywords: blue light, filter, glare, intraocular lens, photostress, retina