Study: Artificial tears selection should be customized to individual patient needs

Recent pilot study results of the effects of artificial tears on muco-aqueous layer thickness (MALT) and lipid layer thickness (LLT) using a high-resolution novel tear film imaging (TFI) demonstrated that a substantial acute mean MALT increase occurs 1 minute after artificial tears instillation with all agents tested; however, differences in response and durability were observed. These findings suggest the benefits of selecting specific artificial tears according to the needs of each patient, reported the researchers.

The study investigated the effects of artificial tears on the sublayers of the tear film assessed by a TFI device. The MALT and LLT of 198 images from 11 healthy participants, 9 of whom had meibomian gland disease, were prospectively measured before and after exposure to 3 different artificial tears preparations (Refresh Plus[RP]; Retaine [RTA]; Systane Complete PF [SYS]), using a nanometer resolution TFI device (AdOM, Israel). Participants were assessed at baseline and at 1, 5, 10, 30, and 60 minutes after instilling 1 drop of artificial tears during 3 sessions on separate days. Repeated-measures analysis of variances was used for comparisons.

The results demonstrated that for all artificial tears, the mean MALT was greatest 1 minute after drop instillation, with an increase of 67%, 55%, and 11% above the baseline for SYS, RP, and RTA, respectively. The SYS formulation demonstrated the highest percentage increases in mean MALT and LLT at most post drop time points. The MALT differences were significantly higher in the SYS than in the RTA (P = 0.014). After 60 minutes, no AT group demonstrated statistically significant changes in MALT or LLT compared with baseline.

Reference
Antman G, Tessone I, Rios HA, et al. The short-term effects of artificial tears on the tear film assessed by a novel