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Ocular surface parameters in older male veterans
Anat Galor1, William Feuer, David J Lee
1Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA. agalor@med.miami.edu
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|February 7, 2013
Summary
Ocular surface discomfort is common in older male veterans, but standard tear film tests don't fully explain symptom severity. Further research is needed to understand the causes of dry eye disease in this population.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Dry Eye Disease Research
- Ocular Surface Health
Background:
- Ocular surface discomfort and tear film abnormalities are frequently observed in clinical practice.
- Understanding the relationship between symptoms and objective measures is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize ocular surface discomfort and tear film parameters in male veterans aged 50 and older.
- To investigate the correlation between reported symptoms and objective tear film measurements.
Main Methods:
- 263 male veterans aged 50+ from a Miami VA eye clinic were enrolled.
- Participants completed the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5 (DEQ5) and underwent tear film parameter measurements.
- Objective measures included Schirmer test, tear breakup time (TBUT), and meibomian gland evaluation.
Main Results:
- 48% of participants reported severe symptoms indicative of dry eye disease (DES).
- 68% exhibited at least one objective abnormality in tear function.
- Aqueous tear deficiency was found in 8%, lipid tear deficiency in 47%, and a mixed pattern in 11% of patients.
- Standard tear film parameters weakly correlated with symptom scores, explaining only 8% of symptom variability.
Conclusions:
- Ocular surface symptoms are highly prevalent in this veteran population.
- Current standard tear film measurements do not adequately explain the severity of reported symptoms.
- Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of ocular discomfort in patients with tear film disturbances is warranted.
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