PCOS patients at higher risk of developing dry eye

Turkey: Dry eye can be established through the use of sensitive tests in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, according to a recent study published in the journal Eye & Contact Lens.

Yonca Asfuroğlu, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey, and colleagues evaluated changes in tear function of PCOS patients. They also determined whether there is a correlation between dry eye parameters, novel hematologic markers, and hormonal levels. 

The study included 47 PCOS patients and 43 age-matched patients with unexplained infertility. The researchers evaluated follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), 17-OH progesterone, fasting and postprandial glucose, fasting insulin, and cholesterol metabolites. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were obtained from a complete blood count. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was administered, and all patients underwent tear break-up time (BUT) and Schirmer I tests. 

The mean age of the PCOS group and the control group was 27.66±3.96 years and 29.28±6.83 years, respectively. 

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Key findings of the study include:

"Dry eye can be well established by sensitive tests in patients with PCOS. The severity of dry eye may be correlated with the level of inflammation and hyperandrogenism," concluded the authors.

"Underlying inflammation, in addition to hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, can contribute to dry eye disease in these patients," they wrote.

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The study, "Association Between Dry Eye and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome," is published in the journal Eye & Contact Lens.

DOI: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000000716