A team of researchers suggests the significant number of patients with dry eye disease (DED) and a range of comorbidities and prescribed medications highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to manage this patient population.

This retrospective, case-control study assessed and compared healthcare records, medication use and comorbidities of patients with and without DED.

The researchers found that the most common comorbidities among the newly diagnosed and prevalent DED groups were hypertension, cataracts, thyroid disease, type 2 diabetes and glaucoma. They note that comorbidities and medication use were both significantly higher in the DED group compared with the non-DED group.