Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate whether the risk of subsequent dry eye and ocualr pain is increased in patients with traumatic brain injury.
Methods :
From the Taiwan national health insurance research database, we identified patients with new-onset traumatic brain injury (case group) between 2008 and 2020. We randomly selected individuals without traumatic brain injury (comparison group) who were matched 4:1 to traumatic brain injury cases based on age, sex and year of enrolment. The characteristics of the two groups were compared. Using Cox regression, hazard ratios (HRs) for dry eye and ocular pain corresponding to traumatic brain injury were computed.
Results :
91515 patients were included in the case group and 366100 individuals were included in the comparison group. The mean age of the study cohort was 47.2 ± 12.3 years. During the study period, 15.5% of the case group and 10.2% of the comparison group developed dry eye (p<0.001), while 14.7% of the case group and 9.8% of the comparison group developed ocular pain (p<0.001). Cox regression revealed that the hazard of dry eye was significantly greater in the case group than in the comparison group [HR = 1.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.77–1.81]; this increased risk of subsequent ocular pain was also found in patients with traumatic brain injury (HR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.74–1.79).
Conclusions :
This nationwide population-based cohort study revealed that traumatic brain injury is significantly associated with an increased risk of subsequent dry eye and ocular pain, suggesting a common underlying pathophysiology.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.