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Lipid-containing artificial tears better maintain corneal surface temperature

Ophthalmology 360

Key Takeaways

  1. Lipid-deficient artificial tears were associated with a faster decline in corneal surface temperature during sustained eye opening.
  2. Lipid-containing artificial tears showed minimal changes in corneal surface temperature and better preserved thermal stability.
  3. The greatest temperature drop occurred within the first five seconds after blinking, particularly with lipid-deficient formulations.

Lipid-containing artificial tears maintained corneal surface temperature (CST) more effectively during sustained eye opening than lipid-deficient artificial tears, according to a study.

The study included 15 healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 to 40 examined under controlled environmental conditions. Each participant was tested on 4 hyaluronic acid–based artificial tears over separate visits, including 3 lipid-deficient products (Thealoz Duo and Artelac Advanced) and 2 lipid-containing products (Thealipid and Artelac Complete).

After drop instillation and acclimatization, participants were asked to keep their eyes open for 15 seconds while CST was measured in the central cornea using a high-sensitivity infrared camera. Results were compared with untreated contralateral eyes, with tear production and tear stability included in the analysis.

The lipid-deficient drops were associated with faster CST decline, with temperature slopes of −0.06 °C/15 s for Artelac Advanced and −0.12 °C/15 s for Thealoz Duo. In contrast, lipid-containing drops showed minimal CST changes, measured at 0.05 °C/15 s for Thealipid and −0.03 °C/15 s for Artelac Complete.

The largest temperature reductions occurred within the first 5 seconds after blinking, especially with lipid-deficient formulations. Tear production and tear break-up time did not significantly affect CST measurements.

Reference

Atalay E, Çalışkan ME, Aydın MT, et al. Corneal surface temperature dynamics with lipid vs non-lipid artificial tears during sustained eye opening: a crossover study. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2026 Jan 22;49(2):102623. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2026.102623. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41576856.

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