The Effect of Low-Dose Aspirin on Dry Eye Parameters and Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on tear film parameters and dry eye disease.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients using low-dose aspirin regularly for antiaggregant purposes as well as 49 controls, who required antiaggregant treatment but who had not yet started, were included in the study. Tear osmolarity, tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer and Oxford grading of ocular surface staining were performed on all patients and dry eye symptomatology was assessed using the ocular surface disease index questionnaire (OSDI).

Results: The mean osmolarity was 302.11 ± 16.22 mOsm/L in the aspirin group and 313.88 ± 19.57 mOsm/L in the control group (P < 0.01). The mean Schirmer's score was 24.16 ± 10.52 mm and 21.94 ± 10.11 mm (P = 0.232), TBUT was 13.61 ± 3.31 s and 10.39 ± 4.46 s (P < 0.01), OSDI score was 5.15 ± 5.98 and 16.94 ± 14.17 (P < 0.01), and Oxford score was 0.12 ± 0.33 and 0.12 ± 0.44 in aspirin and control groups, respectively (P = 0.99). Dry eye diagnosis was lower in the aspirin group, but statistical significance was present only in TBUT and osmolarity-based dry eye diagnosis (P ≤ 0.01). In terms of symptom-based dry eye diagnosis with the threshold of OSDI ≥23, none of the aspirin group had dry eye diagnosis, whereas 32.6% of the control group had the diagnosis (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: The use of low-dose aspirin might be great option for treatment of ocular surface inflammatory disease through increasing TBUT and decreasing tear osmolarity with a resultant symptomatic satisfaction.

Keywords: OSDI; Schirmer; TBUT; aspirin; tear osmolarity.