Cornea

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of low-level light therapy (LLLT) and intense pulsed light (IPL) for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Methods:

Forty eyes of 40 patients with MGD were randomized to receive either LLLT or IPL. Four weekly sessions of LLLT (MY MASK-E, Espansione Marketing S.p.A., Bologna, Italy) and IPL (Eye-light device, Espansione Marketing S.p.A., Bologna, Italy) were performed. The following parameters were evaluated before and 2 weeks after the last session for each treatment: Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaire, noninvasive break-up time, tear meniscus height, redness score, meiboscore, and meibomian gland loss.

Results:

All patients completed regularly all the scheduled sessions, and no adverse events were reported in any of the groups. The Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness score significantly decreased after both LLLT and IPL (P 0.05).

Conclusions:

Both LLLT and IPL were safe and effective in improving ocular discomfort symptoms in patients with MGD; however, the former determined a greater improvement in symptoms and an improvement of tear volume.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to determine the association between caffeine intake and dry eye disease (DED) in the large, population-based LifeLines cohort in the Netherlands.

Methods:

DED was cross-sectionally assessed in 85,302 participants (59% female participants) using the Women’s Health Study dry eye questionnaire. Dietary caffeine was calculated from the intake of coffee, tea, cola, and energy drinks. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between DED and caffeine, correcting for demographic variables, smoking status, alcohol intake, and 48 comorbidities of DED.

Results:

The mean (SD; range) age of participants was 50.7 years (12.4; 18–96), and 50,339 (59%) were female. The mean (SD) caffeine intake was 285 (182) mg/d. After correcting for demographics, body mass index, smoking status, and alcohol intake, higher caffeine intake was associated with a decreased risk of Women’s Health Study-defined DED [odds ratio (OR) 0.971 per 100 mg/d, 95% CI, 0.956–0.986, P