Acupuncture for aqueous deficiency dry eye: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Integrative Medicine
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Aqueous deficiency dry eye is a common condition impacting ocular surface health and patient quality of life.
• Current treatments, such as sodium hyaluronate eye drops, offer symptomatic relief but may not address underlying physiological deficits.
• Exploring alternative and complementary therapies like acupuncture is crucial for managing dry eye disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture versus sodium hyaluronate eye drops in treating aqueous deficiency dry eye.
• To evaluate the impact of both treatments on objective measures of tear production and ocular surface health.
• To assess the effect on subjective patient-reported symptoms of dry eye.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 patients with aqueous deficiency dry eye.
• Patients were assigned to receive either acupuncture at specific acupoints or sodium hyaluronate eye drops for 14 consecutive days.
• Key outcome measures included tear meniscus height (TMH), Schirmer I test (SIT), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), and corneal fluorescein staining (FLS).

Main Results:

• Both acupuncture and sodium hyaluronate eye drops improved TMH, SIT, NIBUT, and reduced FLS scores post-treatment.
• Acupuncture group demonstrated significantly higher TMH and SIT, and a lower OSDI score compared to the sodium hyaluronate group.
• No adverse reactions or events were reported for either treatment modality.

Conclusions:

• Both acupuncture and sodium hyaluronate eye drops are effective in treating aqueous deficiency dry eye.
• Acupuncture offers distinct advantages in enhancing tear secretion and alleviating subjective dry eye symptoms.
• Acupuncture is a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients suffering from dry eye disease.