Association of dyslipidaemia and oral statin use, and dry eye disease symptoms in the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

IMPORTANCE

There is limited literature on oral statin use and its association with dry eye.

BACKGROUND

To analyse the association between dyslipidaemia, use of oral statin drugs, and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) among older adults.

DESIGN

Population-based study.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study III (BMESIII), a large cohort study in suburban Sydney, aged 60 years or older (mean age = 74, range = 60-97, n = 1680) were analysed.

METHODS

Information on DED symptoms and statin use were obtained from an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Serum lipid profiles were determined from fasting blood tests.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The association of various DED symptoms, as well as their number and their severity, with dyslipidaemia and oral statin intake was evaluated.

RESULTS

At least one DED symptom was reported in 52% (n = 1029) of the population. Patients with hypercholesterolaemia (>5.5 mmol/L) did not report more DED symptoms than those without hypercholesterolaemia. Neither serum high-density lipoprotein nor low-density lipoprotein levels were associated with any DED symptoms. Patients taking oral statins were more likely to report one or more moderate to severe symptoms of DED (odds ratio: 2.054, 95% confidence interval: 1.281-3.295).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The association between oral statin use and presence of moderate to severe DED symptomatology is a novel finding that deserves further mechanistic and clinical correlation in order to determine its potential, or lack thereof, for the management of dry eye.