Objectives: To evaluate the effect of astaxanthin in the treatment of mild-to-moderate dry eye disease (DED) in middle-aged and elderly patients.Methods: 120 eyes of 60 middle-aged and elderly patients with mild-to-moderate DED were enrolled in this prospective, one-group, quasi-experimental study. Six milligram Astaxanthin tablets (Weihong Haematococcus Pluvialis Astaxanthin, Hangzhou Xinwei Low Carbon Technology R&D Co., Ltd., China) were administered orally, twice daily for 30 ± 2 days. History of eye diseases, treatment, systemic disease, and medication before the test were recorded. In addition, the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), fluorescein break-up time (FBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) score, eyelid margin signs, meibomian gland (MG) expressibility, meibum quality, meibomian gland dropout (MGDR), Schirmer I test (SIt), tear meniscus height (TMH), bulbar conjunctiva congestion degree, blink frequency, incomplete blink rate, and thickness of tear film lipid layer were collected before treatment, 2 weeks after the initiation of treatment, and at the end of treatment. Visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior segment, fundus, discomfort symptoms and other adverse reactions were also monitored throughout the study to assess the safety.Results: OSDI score, NIBUT, BUT, CFS score, eyelid margin signs, MG expressibility, meibum quality, and blink frequency improved significantly to varying degrees after treatment compared with those before the treatment (P < 0.05), while TMH, SIt, conjunctival congestion, the thickness of tear film lipid layer, MGDR, incomplete blink rate, VA and IOP did not differ (P > 0.05).Conclusions: Oral administration of astaxanthin improves the symptoms and signs of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild-to-moderate DED.

Objective. To study the effect of nutritional support under the clinical nursing path on the nursing effect, quality of life, and nutritional status of elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods. 110 elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease admitted to our hospital from February 2018 to October 2019 were randomly selected and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 via random draw to receive either routine nursing (control group) or nutritional support under the clinical nursing path (experimental group). Outcome measures included nursing efficiency, quality of life index (QLI) score, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score, Mental Status Scale in Non-psychiatric Settings (MSSNS) score, social disability screening schedule (SDSS) cognitive function score, and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Results. Nutritional support under the clinical nursing path was associated with significantly higher nursing efficiency and quality of life scores versus routine nursing ( P < 0.05 ). Nutritional support under the clinical nursing path resulted in significantly lower PSQI, MSSNS, and SDSS scores, and fewer malnourished cases versus routine nursing ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Nutritional support under the clinical nursing pathway can significantly improve the quality of life, cognitive function, psychological status, and nutritional status of elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and has high application value.

Purpose To explore the relationship between symptomatic dry eye and circadian typology in college students. Methods This study included 269 students from 3 Chinese universities. All participants completed the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. Participants were grouped into 3 types by the reduced MEQ (rMEQ) score:E-Type, N-Type, and M-Type. All these parameters were then analyzed for the effect on the severity of dry eye. Results The occurrence rates of poor sleep quality (PSQI>5) and symptomatic dry eye (OSDI > 13) in the college students were 53.2% and 40.2%, respectively. The distribution of the circadian typology differed significantly among the college students with different dry eye severities ( χ 2 = 59.44, P = 0. 000), and E-type was associated with the most severe dry eye symptoms. The OSDI and PSQI scores were both significantly different among college students with different chronotypes (F = 22.14, P = 0.000; F = 15.21, P = 0.000; respectively). For both scores, the E-type scored the highest, followed by N-type, and M-type was the lowest. The circadian typology was an independent factor for dry eye. The risk of E-Type was 6.99 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000), and the risk of N-types was 3.23 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000). Sleep quality was also an independent risk factor for dry eye (P = 0.000). Gender and awareness of dry eye were not risk factors for dry eye. Conclusion The severity of dry eye symptoms and sleep quality were associated with different circadian typologies. The more the circadian preference tended to be E-type, the worse the sleep quality and the more serious dry eye symptoms would appear.