Key Takeaways
- Younger patients with symptomatic MGD were more likely to have incomplete blinking, lower lipid layer thickness, and greater gland distortion.
- Older age was associated with increased meibomian gland plugging, lid margin abnormalities, gland shortening, and gland dropout.
- Lipid layer thickness increased with age, despite more structural gland changes in older patients.
Symptomatic meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) presents differently across age groups, with younger patients showing signs linked to reduced lipid layer thickness (LLT) and altered blinking patterns, while older patients exhibit more pronounced structural gland and lid margin changes, according to a study.
In the cross-sectional study of 100 symptomatic Asian patients, researchers found that younger age was associated with more incomplete blinking, lower LLT, and greater meibomian gland distortion. In contrast, increasing age was linked to higher LLT, greater meibomian gland plugging, anterior displacement of the mucocutaneous junction, telangiectasia, larger gland dropout areas, and increased gland shortening and dropout.
Younger age and the absence of meibomian gland plugging were identified as independent predictors of reduced LLT. A decade-based analysis also demonstrated a significant increase in LLT with advancing age.
The researchers noted that the age-associated increase in LLT likely reflects obstructive and compensatory mechanisms rather than improved tear film function.
Reference
Chang JY, Cheng CA, Hwang DK, Fan NW. Age Spectrum of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cornea. 2026;doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000004206. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42333528.
Related Content
