EW Weekly, December 6, 2019

- Top-line results announced from Phase 3 RENEW trial for dry eye disease
- Phase 1 results announced from varenicline spray under development for dry eye disease
- Data announced from PRK pivotal study of the Ocular Bandage Gel
- Breakthrough Device Designation given by FDA to RightEye Vision System
- Glaukos completes Avedro acquisition
- Ophthalmologists should be aware of the possibility for meibomian gland dysfunction among adolescents, reported Anna Tichenor, OD, PhD, and coauthors. Their study aimed to establish normative values of ocular surface parameters in 225 subjects between the ages of 8 and 17. All subjects received dry eye and lifestyle questionnaires. Tear film assessments and meibography also were performed. Among the subjects, 15% reported ocular discomfort, primarily in the form of itching. Tear meniscus height also rose with age and was highest among the oldest subjects. Meibography showed that 39% of the upper and 39% of the lower eyelids had meibomian gland dropout. The mean meibomian gland dropout score was 0.50 in the upper eyelids and 0.67 in the lower eyelids. No correlation was found between phone/tablet usage and meibomian gland dropout. However, study researchers note that it is still unclear what the effects of long-term digital device usage may be as subjects age. The research is published in Cornea.
- Crowdsourced research was able to identify people with diagnosed and undiagnosed symptomatic dry eye, reported Yewon Kim, MD, and coresearchers. Using a smartphone app called DryEyeRhythm, the researchers’ cross-sectional study included individuals in Japan who downloaded the app and completed its questionnaire. Researchers also collected information on demographics, medical history, lifestyle, subjective symptoms, and disease-specific symptoms based use of the Ocular Surface Disease Index and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Among 4,454 users, 27.3% had diagnosed dry eye, and 72.7% had undiagnosed symptomatic dry eye. Identified risk factors for symptomatic vs. asymptomatic dry eye included younger age, female sex, hay fever, depression, mental illnesses (other than depression or schizophrenia), current contact lens use, extended screen exposure, and smoking. Risk factors for undiagnosed dry eye included younger age, male sex, absence of collagen disease, mental illnesses (other than depression or schizophrenia), ophthalmic surgery (other that cataract surgery and LASIK), and current or past contact lens use. The findings could potentially help with prevention and detection or more effective interventions for dry eye disease, the researchers concluded. The study is published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
- Complications were not common among patients who had refractive surgery and are HIV-positive, according to Carter Tisdale, MD, and coresearchers. The research was part of the U.S. Military HIV Natural History Study, a prospective observational cohort study of service members and beneficiaries who are HIV-positive. Covariates included age, sex, antiretroviral therapy, time since HIV diagnosis, history of AIDS, and CD4 count and viral load. Among the 2,073 participants, 79 had refractive surgery—53 PRK, 23 LASIK, two radial keratotomy, and one astigmatic correction. There were complications in six of the 79 participants, including five ulcers and one unspecified keratitis. The complications occurred in five patients who had PRK and one who had radial keratotomy, occurring at 8 to 217 days post-surgery. The type of surgery and history of AIDS were risk factors for complications (P = .02 for both). Advanced HIV, reflected by previous AIDS, may be associated with a higher risk for complications, but further study is needed to confirm the findings, according to the researchers. The study appears in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
- The TECNIS Toric II 1-piece IOL (Johnson & Johnson Vision) is now available in the U.S. According to a company press release, the IOL features a more textured surface and haptics to aid in stability.
This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Vanessa Caceres.
EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.
Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor
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