Eyeworld

154 | EYEWORLD | APRIL 2019 O UTSIDE THE OR non-vitamin D deficiency groups, based on their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Various dry eye disease tests were performed before and 2 weeks after supplementation. Ultimately, the re- search found that the efficacy of topical artificial tears was dependent on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, and supplementation of vitamin D could enhance the efficacy of these treatments. Evidence links Mediterranean diet to lower AMD risk The evidence associating a so-called Mediterra- nean diet—a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and fish—to lower AMD risk is growing. Two Eu- ropean-based prospective cohort studies for a total of nearly 5,000 participants were included in research, 3 which was published in the journal Ophthalmology. The study found that those who more tightly adhered to a Mediterranean diet were 41% less likely to get advanced AMD. Spectacle independence achieved with IC-8 The IC-8 small aperture IOL (AcuFocus) achieved complete spectacle independence in more than half of the patients who received it in Sleep and DED A good night's sleep may play a role in dry eye disease, according to research 1 published in the journal Cornea. Researchers looked at more than 100 consecutive patients with dry eye disease, evaluating tear breakup time, corneal staining, Schirmer I tests, symptom severity using a visual analog scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores, as well as the Patient Health Question- naire and results of the General Anxiety Disor- der Scale. They found that the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was higher in those with dry eye disease, compared to controls without dry eye disease. According to Wu et al., patients who had poorer quality sleep had more severe dry eye. There was also a correlation between sleep quality and mood status, the investigators found, in addi- tion to a higher level of anxiety being experienced by patients with dry eye disease. Vitamin D supplementation enhances artificial tears Recent research 2 suggests that vitamin D supple- ments can enhance the effect of artificial tears, adding to the body of research that has already linked vitamin D deficiency to dry eyes. One hundred and sixteen patients with dry eye dis- ease were divided into vitamin D deficiency and continued on page 156 News in brief

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