Articles about Eye Health and Disease from 2000 and earlier:
 

Risk Factors for a Dry Eye Syndrome

(From Moss SE, MA. Prevalence and risk factors for dry eye syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol 9/2000;118:1264-1268.)

The study cited above used data from the Beaver Dam Eye Study to determine the prevalence of dry eye syndrome, and what risk factors were associated with it. The study used 3722 individuals from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, who were aged 48 to 91 years. 43% were male. The overall prevalence of dry eye was 14.4%. In those over 80 years of age, the prevalence increased to 19%. After adjusting for age, dry eye was found to be more common in women at 16.7% vs. 11.4% in men.

Other significant factors found to be independently associated with dry eye included:

• A history of arthritis

• Tobacco use (higher association in current users)

• A history of thyroid disease

• A history of gout

• A history of diabetes

• Medications being used were not found to be statistically significantly associated with dry eye, including antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-anxiety drugs, and aspirin. There was a non-significant tendency for an association with dry eye.

Caffeine use was found to be inversely associated with dry eye.

Return to the Eye News Index of Articles Page