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. 2021 May;41(5):1855-1861.
doi: 10.1007/s10792-021-01747-8. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Dry eye and percentage of body fat: a cross-sectional prospective study

Hallyrien Urbik Surmacz  1 , Ana Luiza Cotlinski  1 , Marcelo L Gehlen  1 , Renato Nisihara  2 , Thelma L Skare  1
Affiliations

Dry eye and percentage of body fat: a cross-sectional prospective study

Hallyrien Urbik Surmacz et al. Int Ophthalmol. 2021 May.

Abstract

Background: Dry eyes are common in the general population. Some studies associate high prevalence of dry eyes with lipid metabolic changes and body fat composition.

Aim: To study the association of dry eye with percentage of body fat.

Methods: One hundred and thirty five individuals (44 males and 91 females; median age of 42 years) were studied in a cross-sectional prospective study. Schirmer test and TBUT (tear breakup time) test were used to access dry eye. Body composition (percentage of lean and fat mass) were calculated using anthropometric measurements that included height, weight, abdominal, waist and neck circumference.

Results: About 44.4% of the sample had abnormal Schirmer test, and 70.3% had abnormal TBUT. Schirmer tests values were associated with age (p = 0.0006) female gender (p = 0.04) and percentage of body fat (p = 0.02). Abnormal TBUT test associated only with age (p = 0.0005).

Conclusions: Percentage of body fat is associated with abnormal Schirmer but not TBUT test.

Keywords: Body fat; Dry eye; Schirmer test.

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