This Impacts Dry Eye Patients as Much as Aqueous Deficiency
It appears that short tear film break-up time (TBUT) in dry eye patients has as severe an impact as aqueous-deficiency (AD), at least as measured by certain quality-of-life (QoL) assessments, according to a multicenter cross-sectional study involving 449 individuals.
Participants with dry eye averaged 20 years of age and were assessed for either short-TBUT or AD. Investigators looked at TBUT, Schirmer I value, and keratoconjunctival staining score. They also assessed QoL using the Dry Eye-Related Quality-of-Life Score (DEQS) and health utility with the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI-3). Among the results:
- Average DEQS and HUI-3 scores among all participants were 21.7 and 0.82, respectively.
- Median DEQS and HUI-3 scores in the AD group were 23.3 and 0.79, respectively.
- In the short TBUT contingent, these numbers were 23.3 and 0.82, respectively.
- Questionnaire scores did not differ between the 2 groups.
- A weak but significant link between TBUT, corneal staining score, and keratoconjunctival staining score to DEQS was observed.
- The same was seen between TBUT and Schirmer to HUI-3.
Shigeyasu C, Yamada M, Kawashima M, et al. Quality of life measures and health utility values among dry eye subgroups. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2018;16(1):170. doi: 10.1186/s12955-018-0999-3.
