Patient-reported burden and overall impact of dry eye disease across eight European countries: a cross-sectional web-based survey

Abstract

ObjectiveDry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disease involving the tears and ocular surface. It impacts a patient’s quality of life (QoL) and ability to perform daily activities. This study assessed the burden of self-reported DED among adults in eight European countries.DesignOnline cross-sectional survey.SettingGeneral population in France, Italy, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.ParticipantsAdults aged ≥18 years with (n=6084) and without (n=6161) self-reported DED were recruited via emails and screened.Main outcome measuresAll participants completed National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) and EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). All DED participants completed the Eye Dryness Score (EDS) Visual Analogue Scale, and Ocular Comfort Index and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: Specific Health Problem questionnaires. In addition, half of the respondents with DED completed Survey A (Impact of Dry Eye on Everyday Life) and the other half completed Survey B (Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness Questionnaire) and Dry Eye Questionnaire-5.ResultsParticipants with self-reported DED had lower functional vision and lower overall health status than participants without self-reported DED as measured by the NEI-VFQ and EQ-5D-5L, respectively.Increasing self-reported DED severity as measured by the EDS was shown to correspond with worse symptom severity/frequency, lower functional vision, higher impact on work productivity, daily activities and QoL.ConclusionThis study showed that patients’ reported burden of self-reported DED was similar across the eight European countries. Those with self-reported DED reported lower health status and functional vision compared to those without self-reported DED and these parameters worsen with increasing disease severity.

Prevalence and Correlates of Dry Eye in a German Population Sample

“…Consistent with most previous studies, we found a higher prevalence among women and older age groups. 1 , 3 , 6 Reasons for the higher prevalence of DED in women include hormonal differences and changes during pregnancy and menopause, higher rates of autoimmune diseases, but also higher contact lens use and cosmetic use. 28 In addition, there is evidence that men might tend to under-report symptoms, which has been reported previously, also in Germany.…”

“… 2 Recently, 6084 adults were investigated across 8 European countries. 3 Participants with self-reported DED reported lower functional vision, a lower overall health status, and more work productivity impairment. Similarly, in a large Dutch population-based cohort (n = 78,165), self-reported DED was associated with substantial reductions in all domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36), also after correcting for common comorbidities such as chronic pain, rheumatologic, and mental disorders.…”

Assessment of tear film parameters post-treatment with commercial eyelid cleaning wipes: a pilot study

“…This prevalence of DED increases with age, particularly in those over 40, and is more common among women than men [2] . DED has a significant impact on visual acuity, which affects the quality of life of affected patients [3][4] . Patients are classified as having aqueous deficiency due to lacrimal dysfunction or evaporative DED associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).…”

Effects of social support on vision-related quality of life in older adults with dry eye disease: the chain mediating role of illness perception and coping style

“…As the Chinese population ages and life expectancy rises, DED will remain one of the leading causes of ophthalmic illness ( Song et al, 2018 ; Cai et al, 2022 ). Patients typically experience various symptoms, such as photophobia, fatigue, itchiness, burning, and visual disturbance, and some may even experience severe visual problems and blindness in the later stages if treatment is delayed ( Boboridis et al, 2023 ). Meanwhile, those with DED must bear a substantial economic burden and develop psychological problems such as anxiety and depression during prolonged therapy, making DED an important public health problem ( Chan et al, 2021 ; Yu et al, 2022 ).…”