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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Jun;127(6):763-8.
doi: 10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.103.

Prevalence of dry eye disease among US men: estimates from the Physicians' Health Studies

Debra A Schaumberg  1 , Reza Dana, Julie E Buring, David A Sullivan
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Prevalence of dry eye disease among US men: estimates from the Physicians' Health Studies

Debra A Schaumberg et al. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors for dry eye disease (DED) among US men.

Methods: Cross-sectional prevalence survey among male participants 50 years and older in the Physicians' Health Studies I (N = 18,596) and II (N = 6848). We defined DED as the presence of clinically diagnosed dry eye or severe symptoms (both dryness and irritation constantly or often). We calculated the age-standardized prevalence of DED adjusted to the age distribution of US men in 2004 and projected estimates forward to 2030. We compared DED prevalence with a similar cohort of women and examined associations with possible risk factors.

Results: The prevalence of DED increased with age, from 3.90% among men aged 50 to 54 years to 7.67% among men 80 years and older (P for trend <.001). High blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.45) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.44) were associated with a higher risk of DED. Use of antidepressants, antihypertensives, and medications to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia were also associated with increased risk of DED. The age-standardized prevalence of DED was 4.34%, or 1.68 million men 50 years and older, and is expected to affect more than 2.79 million US men by 2030.

Conclusions: Dry eye disease is prevalent and increases with age, hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and antidepressant use.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The Figure depicts the rate ratio for dry eye disease within 5-year age groups among 36,995 women participating in the Women’s Health Study [REF] compared to the prevalence observed in the present study of 25,444 men participating in the Physicians’ Health Studies I and II. The black boxes indicate the rate ratios and the horizontal bars show the 95% confidence interval for the rate ratio within each age group. The size of the box is proportional to the number of subjects in each age group. The unfilled diamonds show the overall rate ratio comparing the prevalence of dry eye disease in women versus men in these two studies based on the observed data (top diamond), an age-standardized estimate derived by using the age distribution of the US population as a whole (men and women) as a common standard to calculate an age-standardized prevalence ratio (bottom diamond). The horizontal lines passing through the diamonds depict the 95% confidence intervals for these rate ratios.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. The epidemiology of dry eye disease: report of the Epidemiology Subcommittee of the International Dry Eye WorkShop (2007) Ocul Surf. 2007;5(2):93–107. - PubMed
    1. The definition and classification of dry eye disease: report of the Definition and Classification Subcommittee of the International Dry Eye WorkShop (2007) Ocul Surf. 2007;5(2):75–92. - PubMed
    1. Miljanovic B, Dana R, Sullivan DA, Schaumberg DA. Impact of dry eye syndrome on vision-related quality of life. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007;143(3):409–15. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Miljanovic B, Trivedi KA, Dana MR, et al. Relation between dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and clinically diagnosed dry eye syndrome in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(4):887–93. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Schaumberg DA, Buring JE, Sullivan DA, Dana MR. The epidemiology of dry eye syndrome. Cornea. 2000;19(Suppl):S120.

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