Key Takeaways
- Preservative-free lubricant drops were associated with significant improvements in dry eye symptoms over 6 months, with OSDI scores declining from 33.9 at baseline to 16.8 at month 6 (P < 0.001).
- Tear film stability, corneal staining, and vision-related quality of life improved during treatment, although the single-arm study design limits interpretation of the findings.
Preservative-free lubricant eye drops are associated with significant improvements in symptoms and ocular surface measures in adults with mild-to-moderate dry eye disease (DED), according to a study.
The ENRICHED-PF trial enrolled 120 adults with DED who were treated with preservative-free propylene glycol 0.3%/polyethylene glycol 0.4% drops for 6 months. Investigators assessed effectiveness, adherence, and safety under real-world clinical conditions using longitudinal analyses.
Median Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score at baseline was 31.2. Model-based analyses showed mean OSDI scores declined from 33.9 at baseline to 23.1 at 3 months and 16.8 at 6 months (P < 0.001). A clinically meaningful response, defined as at least a 10-point improvement in OSDI score, was achieved by 65.4% of the modified intention-to-treat population and 58% of the per-protocol population.
Over the study period tear break-up time increased, corneal staining scores decreased, and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 composite scores improved by 8.9±3.1 points (P < 0.001). Schirmer I test values remained stable.
Because the study did not include a control group and some patients were lost to follow-up, the researchers said additional comparative studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Reference
Bustamante-Arias A, Satizabal-García JE, Pino-Murcia D, et al. ENRICHED trial of preservative-free lubricants in dry eye disease. Sci Rep;doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-50779-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42251079.
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