Dry Eye Linked to Risk of Depression, Pain

A new study presented at the 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting reveals that dry eye disease (DED) significantly raises the risk of psychiatric disorders and chronic pain syndromes.

Dry Eye’s Impact Beyond the Eye

Gavin Li, MS, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, emphasized that dry eye extends beyond ocular discomfort, with patients showing increased risks of depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. “Dry eye may be an early indicator or contributing factor to psychological distress, and patients who score above a certain threshold on dry eye surveys, such as the Ocular Surface Disease Index, may benefit from screening for psychiatric comorbidities,” the researchers stated.

Study Design and Findings

To explore the connection, the team used a nationwide Medicare sample to identify 4,702 patients with newly diagnosed dry eye between 2012 and 2015, comparing them with a control group of 18,807 individuals without dry eye. The study found that dry eye patients were:

•1.65 times more likely to develop depression

•1.62 times more likely to develop anxiety

•2.41 times more likely to develop fibromyalgia

•1.5 times more likely to develop chronic fatigue

(P-values < 0.001 and 0.02, respectively).

Psychiatric Screening for Dry Eye Patients

Given the findings, the researchers recommend that patients with high scores on dry eye assessments, such as the Ocular Surface Disease Index, be screened for psychiatric comorbidities. This comprehensive approach could improve both mental and physical health outcomes for dry eye patients, highlighting the far-reaching effects of this ocular condition.

References

Ren Y, Tian J, Shi W, et al. Evaluation and correlation analysis of ocular surface disorders and quality of life in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study. BMC Ophthalmol. 2023;23:229. doi:10.1186/s12886-023-02959-5

Sayegh RR, Yu Y, Farrar JT, et al. Ocular discomfort and quality of life among patients in the Dry Eye Assessment and Management Study. Cornea. 2021;40:869-876. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000002580

Li G, Schneider YH, Klawe J, et al. Incidence of Psychiatric Disorders, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Following Dry Eye Diagnosis Among Medicare Beneficiaries. Presented at the 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, Chicago, October 18-21; Session: Cornea-External Diseases – PO272