Omega-3 Supplements Ineffective for Dry Eye
By Jean Shaw
Selected and reviewed by Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
Journal Highlights
JAMA Ophthalmology, July 2022
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Christen et al. evaluated whether long-term daily supplementation with marine omega-3 fatty acids prevents the development of dry eye disease (DED). They found that long-term supplementation did not reduce either the incidence of diagnosed DED or the occurrence of severe dry eye symptoms.
For this ancillary study of VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial), the researchers evaluated 23,523 U.S. adults who were free of a previous diagnosis of DED and were not experiencing severe symptoms of dry eye. Participants’ mean age was 67 years, and they took either 1 g of marine omega-3 fatty acids (n = 11,757) or placebo (n = 11,766) daily. Main outcome measures included the incidence of clinically diagnosed DED, as confirmed by a review of the medical records.
During a median of 5.3 years of treatment (range, 3.8-6.1 years), 472 participants (2%) were clinically diagnosed with DED. There was no difference in diagnosed DED by assignment to the omega-3 or placebo cohort. Similarly, there was no difference between groups with regard to the incidence of severe symptoms of DED.
As a result, the authors said, the results do not support recommending marine omega-3 fatty acid supplements to patients as a strategy for reducing the incidence of dry eye disease. (Also see related commentary by Penny A. Asbell, MD, MBA, and Maureen G. Maguire, PhD, in the same issue.)
The original article can be found here.