Vitamin D deficiency is associated with dry eye syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Acta Ophthalmol. 2020 May 18. doi: 10.1111/aos.14470
Liu J1, Dong Y1,2, Wang Y1,2.
- Dry eyes associated with low vitamin D
- Dry eye treatment 20 percent better in those getting vitamin D supplements – Dec 2018
- Dry Eyes treated by Omega-3 and Vitamin D – many studies
- Dry eye decreased with weekly 50,000 IU vitamin D injection for 8 weeks – Sept 2017
Items in both categories Vision and Meta-analysis are listed here
- Dry eyes associated with low Vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2020
- Vitamin D and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (and 2 AMD meta-analyses) – Oct 2017
- Diabetic Retinopathy twice as likely if a T2 Diabetic has low level of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2017
- Diabetic Retinopathy 2 X more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis Nov 2016
- Diabetic Retinopathy 27 percent more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2016
- Late stage AMD 2.2 more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2016
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the association between the serum vitamin D level and dry eye. A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases to identify clinical studies evaluating the association between vitamin D levels and dry eye. The random-effect model was used to combine the results. Possible sources of heterogeneity across studies were determined by meta-regression and sensitivity analysis.
Overall, 10 studies (n = 18 919) were included.
Patients with dry eye had a mean serum vitamin D level that was lower than that in healthy controls by 3.99 ng/ml (95% CI -6.57, -1.40; p = 0.002). The mean Ocular Surface Disease Index score was higher (mean difference 10.70, 95% CI 1.55-19.86; p = 0.02) and Schirmer's test without anaesthesia result was lower (mean difference 6.38 mm/5 min, 95% CI -10.48, -2.28; p = 0.002) in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in controls. Tear break-up time was comparable in the vitamin D deficiency and control groups (p = 0.15). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the results obtained were robust.
This meta-analysis suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse subjective symptoms and less tear production in patients with dry eye. Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for dry eye syndrome. Prospective cohort and intervention studies are warranted to determine if vitamin D has a protective role in the development of dry eye.