A CONTROLLED STUDY TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFICACY OF ORAL NUTRITIONAL FORMULATIONS OF EFAS IN DES
English

Bahubali Jain, Shrivastawa M, Siddiqui P A
2014 Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences  
Two group of 50 patients each of DES were taken for study with schirmer's test -1 value of <7 mm/ 5min .Group A received artificial tear & nutritional supplements of EFAs for 8 weeks and Group B received artificial tears only for 8 week . Study reveals that dietary intervention with omega-3 fatty acid not only causes symptomatic improvement but also betters clinical markers of dry eye as seen by a positive drift in primary and secondary outcome measures. There is a likely improvement in
more » ... stability of the tear film as seen by the larger TBUT drift and CIC scores. This paper will discuss the results in detail. INTRODUCTION: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a multifactorial disease, affecting tears and the ocular surface. It is accompanied by increased osmolarity of tear film, and inflammation of the ocular surface. [1]-[3] Despite recent advances in understanding the etiopathogenesis of DES, there remain a lacuna in diagnosis, prevention and definitive treatment. DES is a common problem worldwide and can reduce the working efficiency of an individual. Dry eye is therefore a frequent reason that patient present to eye care clinics. Common patient's complaints related to dry eye include reduced vision, difficulty reading, difficulty driving at night and difficulty doing computer work. [5] Most diagnostic tests for dry eye are poorly standardized, making compare between studies tenuous at best. A generally agreed upon 'gold standard' still does not exist. Additionally, some of these tests are poorly associated with subjective symptoms. [6]-[7] Artificial tear supplementation is the most common therapy for dry eye. However, artificial tears provide only temporary and incomplete symptomatic relief and may not reverse metaplastic changes. [8] Hence, DES has been the subject of important and interesting research over the past few decades. Therapeutic regimens such as extracellular Uridine tri-phosphate, androgen hormones and tear replacements containing recombinant forms of cytokine growth factors are currently under evaluation. [9]-[11] Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA) are the three Omega-3 fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the body and have to be supplemented in diet. EPA and DHA modulate prostaglandin metabolism towards anti-inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis due to competitive inhibition of the arachidonic acid pathway. [12] Inflammation plays a significant role in DES. For example, increased concentrations of cytokines such as interlukin-1, interlukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha have been found in the tear film of dry eye patients. [13] The geographical terrain in the plains and foothills of the northern part of the sub-continent has dry, windy conditions with high exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Moreover, semi-urban diets are devoid of food of animal.
doi:10.14260/jemds/2014/3619 fatcat:tvxh27crfvba3mfscxpjwmoike