Dyslipidemia Exacerbates Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Dry eye is a multifactorial and common age-related ocular surface disease. Dyslipidemia has been reported to be involved in meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). However, it has not been clearly identified which lipid abnormality is responsible for MGD. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we discuss how lipid profile changes with aging is responsible for MGD development.

An article search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Eleven studies involving dyslipidemia in patients with MGD were identified. Five out of eleven studies were further analyzed with meta-analysis. The preferred reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines were followed. Study-specific estimates (prevalence of dyslipidemia in MGD patients) were combined using one-group meta-analysis in a random-effects model.

Meta-analysis revealed that high total cholesterol (TC) and high triglycerides (TG) were significantly associated with MGD prevalence, with odds ratios of 5.245 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.582-17.389; p < 0.001) and 3.264 (95% CI: 1.047-10.181; p < 0.001), respectively, but high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were not identified. Systematic review found that the percentage of MGD patients with TC ≥ 200 mg/dL ranged from 20.0-77.6%, TG ≥ 150 mg/dL ranged from 8.3-89.7%, whereas, in the aged-match-adjusted controls, TC range of 200 mg/dL or higher and TG range of 150 mg/dL was 6.1-45.1% and 1.1-47.8%, respectively. The severity of MGD was higher with dyslipidemia.

Dyslipidemia and higher TC and TG are significant risk factors for MGD.