Abstract
Purpose :
Although dry eye disease (DED) and Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) are worldwide one of the most common ophthalmological complaints by patients, their prevalence in a very old population has remained unknown so far. We assessed DED and MGD prevalences in a very old population.
Methods :
The population-based Ural Very Old Study was conducted in a rural and urban area in Bashkortostan/Russia from 2018 to 2020 and included 1526 (81.1%) participants out of 1882 eligible individuals aged 85+ years. A detailed systemic and ophthalmological examination with Schirmer test and slit-lamp based assessment of the Meibomian glands, and an interview with a questionnaire of >300 questions.
Results :
The investigation included 1493 (97.8%) individuals with available information about dry eye. Mean age was 88.3±2.9 years (range: 85-103 years). Schirmer test was ≤5 mm in 160 (34.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 31.5, 37.1) eyes. The mean score of dry eye symptoms was 7.52±2.14 (95%CI:7.41,7.63). A MGD grade 1,2,3 and 4 in the worse eye was diagnosed in 367 (31.4%), 309 (26.4%), 89 (7.6%), and 39 (3.3%) eyes, respectively. The prevalence of DED diagnosis 1 (dry eye symptoms score ≥7, Schirmer test <5 mm), 2 (score ≥8, Schirmer test <5 mm), 3 (score ≥9, Schirmer test <5 mm), 4 (score ≥7, Schirmer test ≤5 mm, MGD grade 1 (telangiectasia at the lid margin)), and 5 (score ≥7, Schirmer test ≤5 mm, MGD grade 2 (plugged Meibomian gland orifices) or higher) were 18.2% (95%CI:16.0,20.5), 14.5% (95%CI:12.4,16.5), 8.1% (95%CI:6.5,9.7), 14.8% (95%CI:12.7,16.8), and 7.4% (95%CI:5.9,9.0), respectively. In multivariate analysis, a higher DED prevalence (dry eye symptoms score ≥8;Schirmer test <5mm) was associated with female sex (odds ratio (OR):2.36;95%CI:1.18,4.71;P=0.02),rural region of habitation (OR:2.72;95%CI:1.10,6.70;P=0.03), longer axial length (OR:1.30;95%CI:1.04,1.62;P=0.02), and higher hearing loss score (OR:1.03;95%CI:1.01,1.05;P=0.001) and lower self-reported salt consumption (OR:0.64;95%CI:0.54,0.75;P<0.001).
Conclusions :
: In this population-based recruited study sample aged 85+years, DED prevalence (7.4% to 18.2% depending on the definition) and MGD prevalence (31.4%) was associated with female sex, rural region of habitation, longer axial length, higher hearing loss score and lower salt consumption.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.