Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a double-blind placebo controlled study, 65% of patients with dry eye syndrome were symptom free after supplementation with 1000mg omega-3 fatty acids.
Dry eye syndrome can have multiple causes, including insufficient tear production to keep the eye lubricated, problems with the makeup of tears themselves, and environmental irritants. Whatever the cause, the result is redness, a feeling of dryness or even excessive tearing as the eye tries to compensate for the decreased lubrication (1). Dry eye syndrome can cause reduced vision, difficulty reading, difficulty driving at night and difficulty doing computer work (2).
Treatments for dry eye syndrome are sparse and include artificial tear supplementation as the most common therapy but which provides only temporary and incomplete symptomatic relief (3). Now a new study (4) suggests omega-3 fats may benefit those with dry eye syndrome.
The prospective, placebo controlled, double-blind randomized trial involved 264 patients with dry eye syndrome. They were given 500 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids (containing 325mg EPA and 175mg DHA = 264 patients) twice daily for 3 months or placebo (254 patients). Patients had four doctor visits (before the study and at 1, 2, and 3 months) during which an eye exam was conducted and patients completed a questionnaire concerning their symptoms. A symptomatic score of 0-6 was mild, 6.1-12 moderate and 12.1 -18 severe dry eye.
After 3 months, researchers noted that 65% of patients in the omega-3 group and 33% of patients in the placebo group were free of dry eye symptoms (p = 0.005). In a test of tear integrity called “tear film break-up time”, those in the omega-3 group had a tear film break-up time of 2.54 seconds versus 0.13 seconds in the placebo group (p < 0.001). Finally, the average drop in symptom score in omega-3 group was 2.02 compared to 0.48 in the placebo group (p <0.001).
When attempting to suggest a mechanism for the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for dry eye syndrome, the researchers suggested that “dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids alters the composition of meibomian gland secretions [in the eye] though they admit “we did not attempt to study meibum characteristics in the present study.”
They went on to conclude that “Omega-3 fatty acids modulate the inflammatory process in the body and nutritional supplementation may have a promising role to play in dry eye” and that “the role of omega fatty acids in tear production and secretion needs further evaluation.”
Source: Bhargava, Rahul, et al. “A randomized controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in dry eye syndrome.” International journal of ophthalmology 6.6 (2013): 811.
© 2013 International Journal of Ophthalmology Press
Posted February 24, 2014.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Chen L. Evaluation of Eye and Respiratory Symptoms at a Poultry Processing Facility – Oklahoma. Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 2007-0284 & 2007-0317-3155 March 2012
- Pouyeh B, Viteri E, Feuer W, Lee DJ, Florez H, Fabian JA, Perez VL, Galor A. Impact of ocular surface symptoms on quality of life in a United States veterans affairs population. 2012;153 (6): 1061-1066
- Dartt DA, Bex P, D’Amore P, Dana R, Mcloon L, Niederkom J. Immunology, inflammation and diseases of the eye. 2011. Great Britain: Academic Press;2011:338
- Bhargava R. A randomized controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in dry eye syndrome.Int J Ophthalmol. 2013 Dec 18;6(6):811-6. doi: 10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2013.06.13
