Topical vitamin D shows potential in treating dry eye disease

Topical vitamin D may offer a safe and effective treatment option for individuals suffering from dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), particularly when formulated with a lipid vehicle, according to a study.

Conducted on a cohort of patients suffering from symptomatic MGD, the study divided participants into 2 groups, administering either topical vitamin D drops (n = 28 eyes) or a placebo (n = 28) in their randomly assigned eyes.

The study’s endpoints encompassed the Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ) 5 score, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), corneal and conjunctival staining score, tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer test, and MG expressibility score. These metrics were evaluated at baseline, as well as at weeks 4 and 8.

By week 8, the average scores for OSDI were 13.38 ± 7.32 in the vitamin D group and 27.94 ± 7.49 in the control group. Similarly, for DEQ5, the scores were 9.67 ± 1.86 in the vitamin D group and 14.14 ± 2.45 in the control group.

Moreover, both groups demonstrated substantial enhancements in TBUT and Schirmer test results at weeks 4 and 8 (P < 0.05). After 8 weeks, a pronounced disparity between the treatment and control groups was observed across multiple metrics including OSDI, DEQ5, Schirmer, TBUT, corneal fluorescein staining, and MG expressibility score (P < 0.05).

Reference
Hassanpour K, Langari F, Akbarzadeh AR, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Topical Vitamin D in the Management of Dry Eye Disease Associated With Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Cornea. 2023;doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003400. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37815305.