Incidence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye in Children and Adolescents With Diabetes Mellitus: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study.

Zhangling Chen,Ying Xiao,Chenhao Yang,Qiurong Lin,Zhaoyu Xiang,Xinran Qin,Lipu Cui,Jiaqi Sun,Yu Qian,Sicong Li,Haidong Zou

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.760006

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of dry eye in children with diabetes mellitus (DM) over a period of 3 years.Methods: Children and adolescents with DM (age: 3–14 years) from the Shanghai Children and Adolescent Diabetes Eye (SCADE) study cohort who did not have dry eye in January 2018 were followed-up for 3 years and re-examined in January 2021, and the incidence rate and risk factors for dry eye were calculated.Results: Forty children and adolescents with DM came for follow-up in 2021. Nine of them were diagnosed with dry eye, resulting in a 3-year incidence rate of 22.5% and an annual mean incidence rate of 7.5% for dry eye. Univariate regression analysis confirmed that decreased corneal sensation (OR [Odds Ratio] = 25.60; 95%CI [Confidence Interval] = 1.31~501.69; P = 0.03) was the risk factor for dry eye incidence. Long course of DM (OR = 1.80; 95%CI = 0.96~3.38; P = 0.07), eye pain (OR = 12.27; 95%CI = 0.65~231.48; P = 0.09), and dry eye in parents (OR = 15.99; 95%CI = 0.76~337.75; P = 0.08) may interfere with the incidence of dry eye in them.Conclusions: The incidence of dry eye in children and adolescents with DM is high.

Highlights

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing every year globally
Forty children and adolescents with DM came for follow-up in 2021
In 2018, our team established the Shanghai Children and Adolescent Diabetes Eye Study (SCADE Study) cohort, we found that the prevalence of dry eye was much higher in children with DM (28.95%) than in normal children (5.00%) in 2018 [10]

Summary

Introduction

The International Diabetes Federation revealed that in 2011, the number of DM patients worldwide was 370 million, and the number may reach ∼550 million by 2030, of which 80% will be from developing countries [1]. Risk factors for dry eye in the adults include reduced lacrimal gland secretion, changes in tear composition, instable tear film, decreased density of the corneal and conjunctival nerves, reduced number of conjunctival goblet cells, and meibomian gland dysfunction [4,5,6]. The worldwide prevalence of dry eye is ∼7–33% [7]. Manaviat et al [8] found that dry eye symptoms happened in 54.3% of the adult patients with type 2 DM, much higher than that of the normal individuals

Methods

Results

Conclusion