Adverse environmental conditions, including high airflow velocity and low relative humidity, are recognised to exacerbate dry eye signs and symptoms. Topical artificial tear supplements are among the most commonly used therapies for dry eye disease, although the protective effects of eye drop application prior to the exposure of adverse environmental conditions have not yet been established.

The prophylactic efficacy of a lipomimetic eye drop (Systane Balance) and a non-lipid containing drop (Systane Ultra) were compared in a recently published, double-masked, randomised trial conducted by the University of Auckland Ocular Surface Laboratory (OSL). A total of 30 patients with symptomatic dry eye were recruited and randomised to lipomimetic drop application in one eye and the non-lipid containing drop in the fellow eye. Participants were then exposed to a validated simulated adverse environment model and tear film quality and dry eye symptomology assessed at baseline and following exposure to the simulated adverse environment.

The results of the trial showed that both therapies resulted in an immediate improvement in tear film stability and prevented its decline below baseline following simulated adverse environment exposure. However, improvements in tear film lipid layer quality and the prevention of its decline below baseline was limited only to the lipomimetic drop which, interestingly, also demonstrated superior post-instillation and post-exposure tear film stability, lipid layer thickness and ocular comfort than the non-lipid containing eye drop.

Overall, the findings demonstrated that application of both lipid and non-lipid containing eye drops conferred prophylactic efficacy against exposure to adverse environmental conditions in patients with symptomatic dry eye. However, the lipomimetic drop conferred superior protective effects and was the preferred treatment among dry eye patients.

References

Gokul A, Wang MTM, Craig JP. Tear lipid supplement prophylaxis against dry eye in adverse environments. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2018 Feb;41(1):97-100.

By Dr Akilesh Gokul, Dr Michael Wang and A/Prof Jennifer Craig