Comorbidities and Prescribed Medications in Patients With or Without Dry Eye Disease: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

To assess the proportion of comorbidities in patients with dry eye disease (DED) compared with matched patients without DED in a comprehensive US population. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: Healthcare records for insurance claims data, detailing medical services incurred by military personnel and their families and dependents in military and civilian facilities across the United States from January 1, 2003, to March 31, 2015, were obtained from the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Health System (MHS). Diagnostic and procedural codes related to DED from selected International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) Current Procedural Terminology codes and prescriptions for cyclosporine A ophthalmic emulsion were used to identify patients with newly diagnosed and prevalent DED in the MHS database. Age, sex, and geographically matched patients without DED were also identified from healthcare claims records. Medication use and comorbidities in these patient populations were assessed and compared. RESULTS: In both the newly diagnosed and prevalent DED samples, the most common comorbidities were hypertension, cataracts, thyroid disease, type 2 diabetes, and glaucoma. All comorbidities were significantly higher in the DED vs non-DED groups (P < .001). Medication use (including, but not limited to, ophthalmic agents and drugs to treat comorbidities) was also significantly higher in the DED than in the non-DED groups (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The high proportions of patients with DED with a range of comorbidities and prescribed medications highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of these patients.

Distribution and Correlation of Ocular Surface Disease Index Scores in a Non-Clinical Population: The Karachi Ocular Surface Disease Study

“…We found a significant difference in those suffering from diabetes and hypertension. Previous studies agree with this result [ 22 - 23 ]. It is argued that hypertension is not a direct risk factor for DED, however, antihypertensive medications contribute to the problem [ 22 ].…”

Trends in Topical Prescriptional Therapy for Old Patients With Dry Eye Disease in Six Major Areas of China: 2013–2019

“…This result is in accordance with epidemiologic findings that microbial infection, surgery/corneal ulcer, and allergic disease are common comorbidities of DED ( Shimazaki et al, 2020 ). The high number of visits for glaucoma drugs among DED patients may indicate the growing prevalence of this comorbidity, which should be noted by clinicians ( Dana et al, 2019a ).…”

<p>The Prevalence and Incidence of Dry Eye Disease Among Patients Using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or Other Nasal Mask Therapy Devices to Treat Sleep Apnea</p>

“…DED has been associated with various comorbid diseases such as hypertension, type II diabetes, hypothyroidism, depression, and autoimmune disease including RA, Sjögren's syndrome, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. 16 Comorbid conditions often found in patients with sleep apnea include hypertension, obesity, COPD, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes. 17 Accordingly, the comorbid conditions often linked to DED and sleep apnea overlapped with the 5 most common comorbid conditions observed in patients in this study.…”