Trends in the Utilization of Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops, Including Disposable and Multiuse Forms, in South Korea: A 14-Year Longitudinal Retrospective Cohort Study

Decrease of tear break-up time at Japanese eye clinics during five consecutive years

The aim of this retrospective chart review study was to evaluate the 5-year trend of ocular surface examination results in participants who visited the eye clinic from 2015 to 2019, underwent corneal and lacrimal examinations, refraction, and intra-ocular pressure measurements, and reported six dry eye-related symptoms. A total of 1468 patients were analyzed. Tear break-up time (BUT) decreased continuously for five consecutive years: 4.76 ± 1.84 s in 2015, 4.57 ± 1.70 s in 2016 (p = 0.999, vs 2015), 4.35 ± 2.06 s in 2017 (p = 0.662), 3.83 ± 2.18 s in 2018 (p < 0.001), and 3.63 ± 2.10 s in 2019 (p < 0.001). The decrease of BUT was more prominent in women than men (p < 0.001) and the correlation coefficient between calendar year and BUT was greater in women than men (p = 0.002). Schirmer test value, strip tear meniscometry value, and corneal staining score did not exhibit significant changes. Prevalence of blurring, photophobia, and pain increased toward 2019 among symptoms surveyed (eye fatigue, blurring, photophobia, dryness, irritation, and pain) and regression analysis indicated blurring (p < 0.001), photophobia (p < 0.001), and pain (p < 0.001) were correlated with BUT. In conclusion, BUT decreased continuously for five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019 and was associated with dry-eye related symptoms.

Eye drops for dry eye disease during pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes: high-dimensional propensity score analyses

We investigated the association between exposure to eye drops prescribed for dry eye disease (DED) during pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes. Pregnant women with DED in the JMDC Claims Database (JMDC Inc., Tokyo, Japan) between 2005 and 2020 were included. According to their prescriptions during the first trimester, the women were classified into three exposed groups (hyaluronate 0.1% alone, hyaluronate 0.3% alone, and diquafosol alone) and an unexposed group (no eye drops for DED). We compared adverse neonatal outcomes (congenital anomalies, preterm birth, low birthweight, and composite outcome of these three) between the exposed and unexposed groups. We conducted a high-dimensional propensity score analysis using many variables in the database together with known potential confounders such as chronic comorbidities. We identified 4,808 eligible women, of whom 936 (19.5%) received eye drops for DED. Congenital anomalies occurred in 7.2% and 6.0%, preterm birth in 3.1% and 4.0%, low birthweight in 7.9% and 6.0%, and composite outcome in 14.9% and 12.3% of women in the hyaluronate 0.1% alone and unexposed groups, respectively. The high-dimensional propensity score analysis showed that hyaluronate 0.1% alone was not significantly associated with increases in congenital anomalies (risk difference, 0.4% [95% confidence interval, -1.9% to 2.7%]), preterm birth (-0.6% [-2.2% to 0.9%]), low birthweight (1.8% [-0.6% to 4.1%]), or composite outcome (1.9% [-1.3% to 5.1%]). Similar results were obtained in the hyaluronate 0.3% alone and diquafosol alone groups. Use of eye drops for DED in pregnant women was not associated with adverse neonatal outcomes.