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Rate of dry eye disease in men increases with age and other factors, study finds
Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(6):763-768.
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The occurrence of dry eye disease in men increased in those age 80 years and older, with high blood pressure, benign prostatic hyperplasia and antidepressant use connected to higher risk of the disease, a large study found.
The cross-sectional prevalence survey looked at male subjects age 50 years and older who took part in two phases of the Physicians' Health Studies. Study 1 had data from 18,596 men, and study 2 looked at data from 6,848 participants.
Dry eye disease was defined as the "presence of clinically diagnosed dry eye" or symptoms that included severe dryness or irritability.
Clinicians compared the disease prevalence to a similar female cohort, looking at potential links to risk factors.
They found that prevalence of dry eye disease in men age 50 to 54 years was 3.9%. In men age 80 years and older, prevalence of the disease rose to 7.67% (P < .001). Other associated risk factors were high blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.28), benign prostatic hyperplasia (odds ratio, 1.26) and medications for those conditions.
"Use of antidepressants, antihypertensives and medications to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia were also associated with increased risk of [dry eye disease]," the study authors said. "The age-standardized prevalence of [dry eye disease] was 4.34%, or 1.68 million men 50 years and older, and is expected to affect more than 2.79 million U.S. men by 2030."