High prevalence of dry eye syndrome found among low vision patients

Dry eye syndrome is a prevalent co-morbidity among the low vision population, according to a study that found that over a third of patients in the University of Colorado Low Vision Rehabilitation Service were affected.

The study highlights the importance of addressing ocular comfort and associated conditions, such as meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis, in the management of individuals with low vision.

The study utilized 74 ICD-10 codes to identify patients with dry eye syndrome. Additionally, 29 blepharitis and 9 meibomian gland dysfunction ICD-10 codes were employed to determine the prevalence of these conditions.

The results of the analysis found that 38.02% of the low vision population had been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome by eyecare providers. The prevalence of dry eye syndrome varied across age groups, with rates of 3.57% for ages 0-19, 14.35% for ages 20-39, 29.07% for ages 40-59, 43.79% for ages 60-79, and 46.21% for ages 80 and above.

Meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis were also prevalent, affecting 11.90% and 9.1% of the low vision population, respectively. The analysis further indicated that dry eye syndrome was diagnosed in 31.59% of males and 42.47% of females.

Reference
Abbott K, Hanson KS, Lally J. Prevalence of dry eye disease in the low vision population at the University of Colorado. J Optom. 2023;17(2):100501. doi: 10.1016/j.optom.2023.100501. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37944476.