This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Longer blink interval seen in patients with diabetes
Time between blinks is longer in patients with diabetes than in subjects without diabetes, according to a study. In addition, blinking patterns were not associated with the formation of superficial punctuate keratopathy, the study authors found.
K. Inoue and colleagues at The University of Tokyo examined 163 patients with type 2 diabetes and 76 control subjects to determine blinking patterns. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the relationship of several factors — tear lipid layer, tear breakup time, corneal sensitivity, the result of cotton thread test and blinking rate — to superficial punctuate keratopathy.
Patients with diabetes have longer interblinking times, a higher average coefficient of variation of interblinking time and lower average blinking rates compared with those without diabetes, the study authors said. The status of tear lipid layer and tear breakup times were significantly related to superficial punctuate keratopathy.
The study is published in the April issue of Eye.