100 Million Suffer From Dry Eye Syndrome Due to Natural Aging and Modern Lifestyles

Wednesday 10 April 2013, Amsterdam

Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common ophthalmological disorders, causing chronic discomfort inup to 100 million people worldwide, and the disease burden is forecast to increase as the average life expectancy rises, says a new report.

The new report states that the prevalence of dry eye syndrome, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, primarily increases with age, and has an estimated incidence of 15% in persons over the age of 65 years. However, gender, certain medical conditions, and modern conveniences can all play a part in a sufferer’s condition.

As people grow older the production of oil in the body decreases, which reduces tear production and increases evaporation of tears, resulting in dryness of eyes. A greater risk of acquiring dry eye is also experienced by females, with postmenopausal women being particularly at risk, and again, natural biological changes are the reason for this. Sex hormones are known to play a significant role in ocular surface homeostasis, and studies are investigating how disturbances to this homeostasis may result in dry eye syndrome. Anti-androgen therapy, Sjögren’s syndrome, and premature ovarian failure are also associated with androgen deficiency, and may increase the risk for dry eye syndrome, alongside hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is commonly used among post-menopausal women. Autoimmune diseases and refractive surgeries are also factors which can lead to dry eye syndrome.

Contact lens usage and certain medications can induce or exacerbate dry eye symptoms, including some eye medications, and some systemic medications, such as diuretics, antihistamines, anti-cholinergics, anti-depressants, and systemic retinoids, as these drugs reduce the water and mucous production in the eyes. A low intake of omega-3 fatty acids is also a risk factor for dry eye syndrome; researchers hypothesize that omega-3 fatty acids may have a direct effect on the polar portion of the lipid layer of tear film of the eye.

In addition, exposure to certain environmental conditions, such as excessive wind, extreme temperatures, low relative humidity, air pollution, and smoking, can increase the risk of developing dry eye syndrome. Modern lifestyle changes, such as exposure to air conditioners and television and computer screens can also reduce the blinking rate of the eyes and cause a condition known as episodic dry eye syndrome.

Expects the number of prevalent cases of dry eye syndrome throughout the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, China, and India to grow by 2.73% each year, from 195.64 million cases in 2012 to 249.09 million cases by 2022. China will have the largest number of prevalent cases ofdry eye syndrome, followed by India.