Few epidemiological studies have examined the potential protective effects of physical activity on insomnia. The authors thus evaluated the association between physical activity and insomnia in a large population-based study in Shizuoka, Japan. Individual data were obtained from participants in an ongoing cohort study. A total of 14,001 older residents who completed questionnaires were followed for 3 yr. Of these, 10,211 and 3,697 participants were eligible for the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively. The authors obtained information about the frequency of physical activity and insomnia. Then, the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals between physical activity and insomnia were estimated. Habitual physical activity was related to lower prevalence of insomnia. Frequent physical activity also reduced the incidence of insomnia, especially difficulty maintaining sleep. For elderly people with sufficient mobility and no preexisting disease, high-frequency physical activity (e.g., 5 or more days/wk) may help reduce insomnia.

PurposeIn recent years, the relationship between dry eye disease (DED) and psychiatric disorders has been gaining attention. The relationship between dry eye symptoms and psychiatric symptoms has been reported in multiple retrospective studies. However, in previous studies there have been limitations to these observations, such as a lack of close examination of either DED or mood symptoms.MethodsIn this study, we evaluated the psychological state and social functionality of DED patients by administering validated psychiatric tests as well as ophthalmologic examinations twice during the course of DED treatment. Forty subjects (61.3 ± 18.1-years old) received the primary psychiatric assessments and 26 received the secondary psychiatric assessments.ResultsIn a cross-sectional examination, we found patients with depressive and/or anxiety symptoms had higher Dry Eye Related Quality of Life Score (DEQ) scores, whereas the objective symptoms of DED did not differ between groups. We also found a positive relationship between depression/anxiety scores and DED subjective symptoms. On the other hand, in longitudinal examination, we found psychiatric symptoms had no impact on subjective and objective DED symptoms throughout the course of DED symptoms.ConclusionsWe found depression and anxiety were related to the subjective symptoms of DED but not the objective symptoms.Translational RelevanceIt is important to pay attention to psychiatric symptoms in patients with DED and an investigation into appropriate treatment strategies for patients with DED in combination with psychiatric symptoms is needed in the future.

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BackgroundDry eye is a multifactorial disease characterized by ocular discomfort and visual impairment. Lacrimal gland function has been shown to decrease with aging, a known potent risk factor for dry eye. We have previously found that orally administrated royal jelly (RJ) restored tear secretion in a rat model of dry eye.Methods and FindingsWe examined the effects of RJ oral administration on dry eye in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Forty-three Japanese patients aged 20–60 years with subjective dry eye symptoms were randomized to an RJ group (1200 mg/tablet, six tablets daily) or a placebo group for 8 weeks. Keratoconjunctival epithelial damage, tear film break-up time, tear secretion volume, meibum grade, biochemical data, and subjective dry eye symptoms based on a questionnaire were investigated at baseline, and at 4 and 8 weeks after intervention. Adverse events were reported via medical interviews. In the RJ group, tear volume significantly increased after intervention (p = 0.0009). In particular, patients with a baseline Schirmer value of ≤10 mm showed a significant increase compared with baseline volume (p = 0.0005) and volume in the placebo group (p = 0.0051). No adverse events were reported. We also investigated the effect of RJ (300 mg/kg per day) administration using a mouse model of dry eye. Orally repeated administration of RJ preserved tear secretion, potentially through direct activation of the secretory function of the lacrimal glands.ConclusionOur results suggest that RJ improves tear volume in patients with dry eye.Trial RegistrationRegistered NO. the University Hospital Medical Information Network in Japan (UMIN000014446)