Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effects of Manuka (Leptospermum sp. honey) eye drops versus a conventional non-lipid based eye drop on tear film properties in symptomatic dry eye subjects after 28 days of treatment.
Methods :
Forty-six subjects with symptoms of dry eye (Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI] score >12) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either the test Manuka (Melcare Biomedical, Australia) or control non-lipid based lubricant (Alcon, USA) eye drops in this double-masked study (NCT03622619). Lipid layer thickness (LLT; Lipiview II, TearScience), tear film evaporation rate (TER; Vapometer, Delfin Technologies), fluorescein tear film break-up time (TBUT) and subjective symptoms scores (OSDI) and visual analogue scales (VAS) for burning/stinging, grittiness/foreign body sensation, dryness, blurry vision and overall discomfort were measured before and after 28 days of instilling the eye drops three times daily. Independent t-tests or Mann Whitney U tests were used to compare the two groups.
Results :
Forty-two subjects completed the study: 21 subjects (9 males and 12 females) with average age 22.2 ± 3.5 years in the test group, and 21 subjects (5 males and 16 females) with average age 20.6 ± 3.2 years in the control group. After 28 days of treatment, TER showed a significantly greater reduction in the test group compared to the control group (-10.8 ± 16.8 vs. 0.7 ± 10.8 gm-2h, p = 0.01). TBUT tended to increase in the test group compared to the control group (2.0 ± 3.0 vs. 0.0 ± 3.1 sec, p = 0.06), and a significantly greater reduction (improvement) in OSDI scores was observed in the test group compared to the control group (-19.6 ± 10.9 vs. -10.7 ± 7.1, p = 0.01). No significant differences were found between the two groups for LLT and any of the VAS scores.
Conclusions :
The Manuka eye drops were more effective for reducing TER, increasing TBUT and improving symptoms of dry eye compared to the conventional non-lipid based eye drops after 28 days of daily use.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.