Path to DED diagnosis differ for patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) have considerably different experiences when being diagnosed with dry eye disease than patients without SS, including a longer time to diagnosis and lower quality of life (QoL), according to a study.

In this observational/descriptive, non-interventional, retrospective study, 827 individuals with, self-reported dry eye disease (DED) were using topical DED treatments (≥ 6 months), and did not wear contact lenses completed an online survey.

Of the 827 respondents, 50.3% had SS. Participants with SS had a mean time to diagnosis of 32 months compared to 8.6 months in participants without SS, which was associated with reduced QoL scores.

More than 30% of participants with SS consulted ≥ 4 healthcare professionals before being diagnosed with SS compared with 6% of participants without SS. Those with SS experienced a greater impact on QoL and more often viewed their condition as a handicap rather than a discomfort.

Reference
Figueiredo FC, Baudouin C, Rolando M, et al. The enduring experience in dry eye diagnosis: A non-interventional study comparing the experiences of patients living With and without Sjögren’s syndrome. Ophthalmol Ther. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s40123-021-00341-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33792865.