Indirect correlation between dry eye disease and environmental parameters based on Google searchs and eyedrops sales

Abstract

Purpose :
Dry eye disease (DED) is frequent, and climatic and environmental conditions influence it. We investigated the population behavior regarding ocular surface care in response to climatic and pollution variations in the São Paulo metropolitan area.

Methods :

Between 2016 and 2020, climatic and pollution data registered by the Environmental Sanitation Technology Company (CETESB), eyedrops selling obtained from IQVIA, and ocular health queries obtained from Google trends were monthly correlated in the same region of Brazil. Environmental parameters were temperature, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, humidity, atmospheric pressure, ozone, and particulate matter. Indirect data of DED are 1) Selling numbers of decongestants and artificial tears were registered, and 2) Numbers of Google search of eye itching red eye, dry eye, and hordeolum (in Portuguese), also obtained in the same period and same region.

Results :
We found a moderate correlation between decongestant and sympathomimetic eye drops with higher temperature (r=0.434, p = 0.0021) and with higher incidence of UV rays (r=0.643, p<0.0001) and with higher ozone concentration (r= 0.491, p=0.0004); and also higher sales of artificial tears and lubricants and higher concentration of ozone (r=0.452, p=0.0012). Google searches for the words hordeolum and red eye correlated positively with lubricant sales (r=0.505 and p=0.0005 and r=0.599 and p<0.0001, respectively).

Conclusions :

The data shows correlations between the DED and environmental parameters. There are possible influences of covariates, as the environmental parameters do not act solely. In conclusion: 1) bigdata of ocular discomfort and DED are parameters of a region's environmental quality; 2) environmental conditions are risk factors or triggers for DED. This method allows setting environmental thresholds to prevent DED and applies DED indirect data to help monitor environmental changes.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.