- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Continuous Use of Tear Substitutes Improves Dry Eye in Age-related Macular Degeneration Patients

Researchers have discovered that regular use of tear substitutes diminishes dry eye symptoms considerably in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who receive frequent intravitreal injections (IVIs). In a prospective randomized bicenter study, patients who applied artificial tears daily showed significant improvement in their Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores, and sustained lubrication may preserve the ocular surface in the long term. The study was conducted by Héloïse Torres-Villaros and colleagues published in the journal of Ophthalmology and Therapy.
Repeated intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF every 4–8 weeks for several years are common for patients with nAMD. These repeated interventions can compromise the ocular surface and cause dry eye symptoms, which detract from patient comfort and compliance. Artificial tears are used regularly to alleviate dryness, but little has been known about whether daily use on a regular basis (continuous) is superior to the use over a short period (intermittent) after injections. This study was conducted to explain the effect of these two methods on dry eye consequences.
The trial included 65 patients with nAMD, mean age 83.1 ± 6.0 years, who had already received a mean of 28.5 ± 20.3 intravitreal injections. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups:
Intermittent Group: Had 1.5% povidone artificial tears only for three days following each injection
Continuous Group: Applied an ophthalmic emulsion with 0.18% sodium hyaluronate four times a day during the trial
The main outcome was change in OSDI score from baseline to the fourth IVI day.
Secondary outcomes were Schirmer test scores, tear break-up time (TBUT), and Oxford staining scores, which measure tear amount, stability, and ocular surface injury respectively.
Main Findings
The continuous group had a mean decrease in OSDI score of −6.6 ± 13.5 points, indicative of decreased dry eye symptomatology, versus an increase of +0.6 ± 13.7 points in the intermittent group (p = 0.04). This change was statistically significant, showing an actual advantage from frequent tear application.
Schirmer test score: No significant difference
TBUT: No improvement
Oxford staining score: Comparable between groups
These findings indicate that although subjective symptoms improved, the objective physical signs of dry eye were relatively unchanged during the short follow-up.
This research proved that frequent use of tear substitutes greatly enhances dry eye symptoms, as reflected by decreased OSDI scores, in patients undergoing repeated intravitreal injections for nAMD. Further research with longer follow-up may better define the long-term value of this regimen.
Reference:
Torres-Villaros, H., Giocanti-Aurégan, A., Doan, S. et al. Continuous versus Intermittent Use of Tear Substitutes in Patients Treated with Anti-VEGF for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The TREDIA Study. Ophthalmol Ther (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-025-01201-3
Dr Riya Dave has completed dentistry from Gujarat University in 2022. She is a dentist and accomplished medical and scientific writer known for her commitment to bridging the gap between clinical expertise and accessible healthcare information. She has been actively involved in writing blogs related to health and wellness.
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751