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Dry eye in vitamin D deficiency: more than an incidental association
Author(s) -
Yildirim Pelin,
Garip Yeşim,
Karci Ayse Aslihan,
Guler Tuba
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/1756-185x.12727
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d deficiency , vitamin d and neurology , association (psychology) , ophthalmology , dermatology , philosophy , epistemology
Abstract Aim The aim of this article is two‐fold: (i) to demonstrate the relation between vitamin D deficiency and dry eye and impaired tear function; and (ii) to investigate the possible associations among clinical parameters of hypovitaminosis D with dry eye parameters. Method Fifty premenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency (serum vitamin D levels < 20 ng/mL) and 48 controls were included. Participants were assessed by Schirmer's test, tear break‐up time test ( TBUT ), ocular surface disease index ( OSDI ), Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire ( HAQ ), fatigue severity scale ( FSS ), and visual analogue scale‐pain ( VAS ‐pain). Results Lower scores in Schirmer's test and TBUT , and higher in OSDI were detected in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in controls ( P < 0.05). FSS was negatively correlated with Schirmer's test ( r = −0,29; P = 0.038) and TBUT scores ( r = −0,43; P = 0.002); VAS ‐pain was negatively correlated with TBUT scores ( r = −0.32; P = 0.023). HAQ scores showed no significant correlation with dry eye parameters ( P > 0.05). Vitamin D level was negatively correlated with OSDI ( r = −0.49; P < 0.001), and positively with Schirmer's test ( r = 0.45; P = 0.001) and TBUT scores ( r = 0.30; P = 0.029). Conclusion Dry eye and impaired tear function in patients with vitamin D deficiency may indicate a protective role of vitamin D in the development of dry eye, probably by enhancing tear film parameters and reducing ocular surface inflammation. Patients with vitamin D deficiency should be evaluated for dry eye syndromes.