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Dry eye and percentage of body fat: a cross-sectional prospective study

International Ophthalmology volume 41, pages 1855–1861 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Dry eyes are common in the general population. Some studies associate high prevalence of dry eyes with lipid metabolic changes and body fat composition.

Aim

To study the association of dry eye with percentage of body fat.

Methods

One hundred and thirty five individuals (44 males and 91 females; median age of 42 years) were studied in a cross-sectional prospective study. Schirmer test and TBUT (tear breakup time) test were used to access dry eye. Body composition (percentage of lean and fat mass) were calculated using anthropometric measurements that included height, weight, abdominal, waist and neck circumference.

Results

About 44.4% of the sample had abnormal Schirmer test, and 70.3% had abnormal TBUT. Schirmer tests values were associated with age (p = 0.0006) female gender (p = 0.04) and percentage of body fat (p = 0.02). Abnormal TBUT test associated only with age (p = 0.0005).

Conclusions

Percentage of body fat is associated with abnormal Schirmer but not TBUT test.

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Affiliations

  1. Mackenzie Evangelical School of Medicine Paraná, Rua Padre Anchieta, 2770, Curitiba, Paraná, 80730-000, Brazil

    Hallyrien Urbik Surmacz, Ana Luiza Cotlinski, Marcelo L. Gehlen, Renato Nisihara & Thelma L. Skare

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  1. Hallyrien Urbik Surmacz
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  2. Ana Luiza Cotlinski
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  3. Marcelo L. Gehlen
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  4. Renato Nisihara
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  5. Thelma L. Skare
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Correspondence to Renato Nisihara.

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All participants signed an informed consent.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of HELSINKI declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research (Comitê de Ética da Faculdade Evangélica Mackenzie de Medicina, Curitiba, PR, Brazil, number 2873147.

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Surmacz, H.U., Cotlinski, A.L., Gehlen, M.L. et al. Dry eye and percentage of body fat: a cross-sectional prospective study. Int Ophthalmol 41, 1855–1861 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-021-01747-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-021-01747-8

Keywords

  • Dry eye
  • Body fat
  • Schirmer test