Contact lens tolerance and oral contraceptives

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Contact lens wear is common, but tolerance varies.
• Oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used by women of reproductive age.
• Potential hormonal influences on ocular surface health and contact lens tolerance are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between oral contraceptive use and gender on contact lens tolerance.
• To compare contact lens tolerance across different demographic groups.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 517 participants: 199 women using oral contraceptives, 242 women in a control group, and 76 males.
• Assessment of contact lens tolerance categorized as good, moderate, or poor.
• Analysis of discontinuation rates due to intolerance.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in contact lens tolerance (good, moderate, poor) were found between women using oral contraceptives, control women, and men.
• Discontinuation rates due to poor tolerance did not significantly differ among the studied groups.
• A trend suggested increased contact lens intolerance in older age groups compared to younger ones.

Conclusions:

• Oral contraceptive use and gender do not appear to significantly affect overall contact lens tolerance.
• Age may be a factor influencing contact lens tolerance, with older individuals potentially experiencing more issues.
• Further research into age-related changes in ocular surface and contact lens fitting is warranted.