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Artificial tears shown to improve signs and symptoms of dry eye
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Objective signs and visual symptoms of dry eye improved in a clinical trial of artificial tears presented here.
Peter Simmons, PhD, and colleagues reported on the multicenter, double-masked, two-arm, parallel group, controlled clinical trial of Optive Sensitive and Refresh Plus lubricant eye drops (Allergan) in a poster presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
The study looked at subjective data through the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) as well as objective tests such as Schirmer's, tear breakup time and fluorescein staining. Investigators also measured vision through an OSDI questionnaire and current visual quality (Vision VAS).
Patients were instructed to use one to two drops as needed and to instill them at least twice daily for 30 days.
At 1 month, both vision VAS and OSDI scores improved from baseline. Objective measures showed improvement as well.
"Dry eye signs and symptoms, visual symptoms and visually relevant ocular systems improved from baseline within 30 days use of [Optive Sensitive] or [Refresh Plus] artificial tears," Dr. Simmons said in the poster presentation.
"The overall performance of Optive Sensitive and Refresh artificial tears showed improvement," Dr. Simmons told Ocular Surgery News. "The measures that were supposed to go up went up, such as visual comfort measures, and the ones that were supposed to go down, like corneal staining, went down."