Comparative Study of the Pre-Corneal Tear Film in Diabetic and Non Diabetic Patients

Diabetes mellitus may induce various kinds of ocular complications. It is well known that diabetes induces retinopathy and cataract, but recently it is being increasingly recognized, that the tear film is also adversely affected in diabetics. Examination of 400 eyes of an equal number of diabetics and non-diabetics revealed that after age and gender adjustment, there was a significantly higher percentage of diabetic patients (19 %) who had Dry Eye Disorder, compared with non-diabetic patients (7 %, P less than.001). This difference was significant for all age groups and for both sexes (P less than.001), and it was also significantly related to outdoor occupations. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between diabetic retinopathy, decreased corneal sensation and dry eye syndrome especially when associated with poor glycemic control. This study shows that dry eye syndrome is an important manifestation of diabetes mellitus and highlights the fact that Tear film function and ocular surface evaluation must be included in the routine examination protocol for all diabetics.