Efficacy of an artificial tear emulsion in patients with dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction

Abstract

ObjectivesThe aim of the study reported here was to assess the efficacy of an artificial tear emulsion for the treatment of dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).MethodsAt five clinics, patients completed a 1-week treatment with their habitual topical therapy and then a 4-week treatment with open-label study medication: Systane® Balance Lubricant Eye Drops (Alcon, Alcon Inc, Fort Worth, TX, USA). Subjective assessments included a preference survey, the Impact of Dry Eye in Everyday Life questionnaire, and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. Objective assessments by unmasked investigators included visual acuity, meibomian gland expression and dropout, tear film breakup time, corneal staining, and dosing frequency.ResultsAt baseline, the 49 patients had mean meibomian gland expression grades and gland dropout that indicated mild to moderate MGD. Patients administered their habitual therapy 2.5 ± 1.3 times per day. After 4 weeks of study medication, the Impact of Dry Eye in Everyday Life questionnaire results indicated statistically and clinically significant improvements. Fewer than half of the participants were employed, limiting the usefulness of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. Visual acuity remained statistically similar, while corneal staining and tear film breakup time improved significantly (P < 0.05) but modestly. The outcomes were achieved with 1.9 ± 1.1 doses per day of study medication, a significantly lower frequency than the habitual frequency (P < 0.001). The most common medication-related adverse event was blurred vision (3/49 patients, 6.1%). At study conclusion, 27/44 (61.4%) survey respondents preferred the study medication to their habitual therapy.ConclusionThe artificial tear emulsion was effective for treating the signs and symptoms of dry eye in MGD patients.

Comparative evaluation of efficacy and safety of Carboxymethylcellulose either alone or in combination with Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of Dry eye in a Tertiary care Teaching Hospital

“…This improvement in Schirmer's test and TBUT test values is comparable to previous studies. 14,16,18,19 Improvement in OSDI score during the study period is comparable to previous studies. 6,16,20 At 12 weeks, comparison was done between Group I and Group II.…”

“…14,16,18,19 Improvement in OSDI score during the study period is comparable to previous studies. 6,16,20 At 12 weeks, comparison was done between Group I and Group II. No intergroup difference was found between the groups with respect to Schirmer's and TBUT test, but signifi cant difference was found in OSDI score between the two study groups, this is in accordance with previous study 21 ( Figure 4).…”

“…These adverse effects were comparable to those reported in previous clinical studies. [14][15][16][17][18] …”

Comparison of the anti‐inflammatory effects of artificial tears in a rat model of corneal scraping

“…Due to their low side effect profile, they are the first-line therapy in the management of symptoms and signs of DED. [11][12][13] HA, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyols such as glycerol or mannitol, and oils are the active ingredients often found in ATs and are the compounds responsible for their beneficial (mechanical) action on the ocular surface. 43,44 The present study compared the wound healing and the net anti-inflammatory properties of ATs using different strategies to moisturize and protect the ocular surface.…”

“…9,10 Regardless of the level of DED severity, frequent applications of artificial tears (ATs) remain a widely accepted and first-line treatment strategy for close to 80% of patients. 11,12 These supplements, depending on their formulation and active ingredients, are intended to (i) expand tear volume in aqueous tear deficiency; (ii) improve symptoms of dry eye in meibomian gland dysfunction patients 13 ; and (iii) enhance the tear film (TF) lipid layer of the TF and therefore improve TF stability and reduce tear evaporation. [14][15][16] In the AT field, very few compounds have been shown to present biologic anti-inflammatory function.…”