Article

Blue blocking IOLs are not the best option

Ultraviolet (UV) and violet blocking intraocular lenses (IOLs) can provide protection from radiation and offer good quality of vision, however, blocking blue light can actually cause a loss in quality of vision.

Ultraviolet (UV) and violet blocking intraocular lenses (IOLs) can provide protection from radiation and offer good quality of vision, however, blocking blue light can actually cause a loss in quality of vision, according to Alessandro Franchini and Eleonora Vaccari from the University of Florence, Italy.

The study, which aimed to compare three different IOL filters, was conducted using a dedicated software and a pseudophakic eye model. The eye CIE day and night curves were computed through three different filters: the first blocks UV wavelights from 300 to 400 nm, the second blocks UV and violet (400 to 440 nm) wavelights (UVV) and the third blocks UV, violet and 50% of blue light at 450 nm and 25% at 480 nm (UVVB).

The investigators found that there were negligible differences between the three filters in day curves. In scotopic conditions, the UV filter guaranteed an integral of efficiency of 23.7 (100%), the UVV filter of 23.31 (97%) and the UVVB of 21.49 (90%).

According to Dr Franchini and Dr Vaccari, there is no proof that blocking blue light can guarantee further retinal protection and, given that it can actually cause a reduction in quality of vision, the authors conclude that UV and violet light blocking IOLs offer the best solution.

Newsletter

Don’t miss out—get Ophthalmology Times updates on the latest clinical advancements and expert interviews, straight to your inbox.

Related Videos
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) 50 years of ophthalmology: What changed the game? (Part 1)
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) From MIGS to gene therapy: Inder Paul Singh, MD, celebrates the past and future of glaucoma care
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) NeuroOp Guru: Using OCT to forecast outcomes in ethambutol optic neuropathy
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Inside NYEE’s new refractive solutions center with Kira Manusis, MD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Dilsher Dhoot, MD, on the evolution of geographic atrophy therapy: where are we now?
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times Europe) Anat Loewenstein, MD, shares insights on the real-world results of remote retinal imaging
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Two-wavelength autofluorescence for macular xanthophyll carotenoids with Christine Curcio, PhD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) FLIO and the brain: Making the invisible visible with Robert Sergott, MD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Structure-function correlates using high-res OCT images with Karl Csaky, MD, PhD
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.