Dr. Shradha Pattnaik
BACKGROUND Dry eye disease, though common, is a frequently under-recognized clinical state whose aetiology and management are challenging. Many external and internal factors have been studied, which affects the stability of tear film. This study aims at determining the association between serum 25(OH) Vitamin D and Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) incidence and how treatment with supplementation affects the outcome. METHODS This is a case-control study with 75 DES cases and 75 healthy controls. The main parameter to detect the level of vitamin D was Serum 25(OH)D. The DES parameters included ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scales, tear film breakup time (TBUT), fluorescein staining score (FSS), eyelid margin hyperemia, tear secretion test and Schirmer test. The differences in each parameter between case and control groups were detected and the association of serum 25(OH) D and DES parameter were studied. Deficient patients were given vitamin D-supplementation. The DES parameters were followed up after 8 and 12 weeks. Comparison was done between pre-treatment and post-treatment values. RESULTS 25(OH) D levels were lower in patients with DES than in healthy controls. Vitamin D deficiency was more common in the DES cases. Parameters were measured before treatment and after 8 and 12 weeks of vitamin D supplementation. Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 10.52 ± 4.61 ng/mL. TBUT, and tear secretion test showed an improvement at 8 and 12 weeks after vitamin D supplementation compared to pre-treatment values (p <0.05 for all, paired t-test). Eyelid margin hyperemia and the severity of symptoms showed improvement at 8 and 12 weeks after vitamin D supplementation (p <0.05).
