Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE: The current study compares the ocular tear film parameters in three different groups using a single noninvasive, practical, and easy-to-use tool.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the tear film in smokers, those with a high body mass index (BMI), and healthy subjects using the EASYTEAR view+.
METHODS: Thirty men with a high BMI (>25 kg/m(2); 24.4 +/- 6.4 years), 30 smokers (25.1 +/- 6.1 years), and 30 healthy subjects (22.2 +/- 3.5 years) were recruited. Each subject completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index, followed by the assessment of noninvasive tear breakup time, tear meniscus height (TMH), and lipid layer patterns (LLPs).
RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the median TMH scores between smokers and healthy subjects (P= .03) and between subjects with a high BMI and the healthy ones ( P= .04). The median LLP score was significantly ( P< .001) higher in normal subjects (4.0 [1.01) than in smokers (2.4 [1.01) and subjects with high BMI (2.0 [1.31). For subjects with a high BMI, the noninvasive tear breakup time score was strongly correlated (Spearman rank correlation coefficient; r)with TMH (r= 0.552, P= .002) and LLP (r= 0.555, P= .001). The LLP showed that grade B (lipid layer thickness, 30 to 50 nm; more compact) was common in subjects with a high BMI, grade C (50 to 80 nm, gay waves) was predominant in smokers, and grade D (similar to 80 nm, dense white-blue layer) represented the majority of normal eye subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: Smokers and individuals with a high BMI showed significantly lower lipid layer grades and tear meniscus height scores compared with the control group. The assessment of tear film parameters using the EASYTEAR view+ supports the findings of previous studies that implicate smoking and high BMI as risk factors for dry eye.