Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Syndrome in the Incheon Area.

Jeong, Hoon Seok; Lim, Jung Soo; Oh, Dae Kyu; Chi, Mi Jung; Paik, Hye Jung; Shyn, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Kyun Hyung

doi:2011.52.10.1135

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > Volume 52(10); 2011 > Article

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2011;52(10):1135-1141.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2011.52.10.1135 Published online October 15, 2011.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Syndrome in the Incheon Area.

Hoon Seok Jeong, Jung Soo Lim, Dae Kyu Oh, Mi Jung Chi, Hye Jung Paik, Kyung Hwan Shyn, Kyun Hyung Kim

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea. tigerme@naver.com
²Department of Preventive Medicine, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
³Department of Ophthalmology, Hongik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

인천 지역에 거주하는 고령인구에서의 건성안 유병률 및 위험인자

정훈석¹⋅임정수²⋅오대규²⋅지미정¹⋅백혜정¹⋅신경환³⋅김균형¹

Departments of Ophthalmology¹, Preventive Medicine², Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea Department of Ophthalmology, Hongik Hospital³, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and risk factors of dry eye syndrome (DES) among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area. METHODS: A cross-sectional prevalence study was performed on 462 people over 50 years old in Dong-gu, Incheon. DES was defined as the constant or frequent presence of symptoms of both dryness and irritation. Symptoms and past medical history were assessed by a survey. Eye examination included slit lamp examination, Schirmer test, and tear break-up time (T-BUT). Age, sex, living habits, systemic and eye diseases were also analyzed to determine the risk factors of DES. RESULTS: The prevalence of DES was 26.2%. The major symptoms were as follows in descending order: dryness (77.9%), tearing (75.2%), and sandiness (72.7%). An average of 12.1 +/- 6.0 mm in the Schirmer test and 6.7 +/- 2.4 seconds in the T-BUT were significantly different in the DES group from the normal group (p < 0.001). Variables such as age, sex, living habits, and eye diseases were not related to the diagnosis of DES, whereas diabetes was the only risk factor of DES with statistical significance (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the prevalence of DES among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area was 26.2%. Schirmer test and T-BUT were considered to be helpful tools for the diagnosis of DES, and diabetes was a significant risk factor of DES.

Key Words: Diabetes mellitus;Dry eye syndrome;Prevalence;Risk factor