Correlation between gout and dry eye disease

Abstract

Background Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that can cause a number of serious complications. Complications are common in patients with gout and complicate their management and disease outcome. The recent literature has reported that an increasing number of gout patients are presenting with dry eye symptoms. However, until now, the link between gout and dry eye disease has not been clearly defined. (It is unclear whether the two conditions simply co-exist, whether there are common risk factors, or whether dry eye disease is a complication of gout.) Methods A thorough literature search was conducted in the PubMed database to summarize the most recent information on the correlation between gout and dry eye disease and to explore the potential relationship between the pathogenesis of the two. (Objective: Therefore, in this paper, we review the recent literature on the correlation between gout and dry eye disease and explore the potential association between the pathogenesis of both.) Results Studies in the last five years have shown a correlation between gout and dry eye, i.e., gout is associated with an increased risk of dry eye. The NLRP3-IL-1β signaling pathway may be a potential mechanism for the combination of gout and dry eye disease; factors such as high blood uric acid and xanthine oxidase activation in gout patients may aggravate the development of dry eye disease; reducing the use of visual display terminals; reducing or abstaining from alcohol consumption; and moderate coffee intake may effectively prevent gout and dry eye disease. Conclusions It is an undisputed fact that many gout patients present with dry eye manifestations that seriously affect the quality of life of gout patients, and early detection and treatment of dry eye in gout patients are crucial.