Hard Contact Lens Wear and the Risk of Acquired Blepharoptosis: A Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVES Since there are increasing numbers of patients with blepharoptosis who have a history of wearing contact lenses, we attempted to estimate the risk of developing ptosis from wearing hard contact lenses. METHODS In an age-matched case-control study that was performed in a hospital in Japan, we compared the rate of hard contact lens users in ptosis cases with that in a control group and then estimated the odds ratio. RESULTS The history of wearing hard contact lenses was significantly higher in patients (90.2%) versus controls (31.6%). Hard contact lens wearers had a 20 times increased risk of ptosis (odds ratio: 19.9; 95% confidence interval: 6.32-62.9) compared with the nonwearing subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that there was a significant association between hard contact lenses and blepharoptosis. Because of both the prevalence of use and the aging of the population, contact lens-induced blepharoptosis is no longer just a problem for young and middle-aged people with myopia but also for the elderly population.