About 4% of men over 50 develop dry eye

Following a MedPage Today story, HealthDay (6/12, Thomas) reported that, according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, after age 50, approximately four "percent of males develop dry-eye disease." For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital "analyzed data on 25,444 men," who "were asked if they had ever been diagnosed with dry-eye disease and also whether they had symptoms, including dry or irritated eyes." The team found that "about three percent reported a previous diagnosis of dry eye, while 6.8 percent said they had constantly or often experienced at least one symptom, such as dryness or irritation." Nearly "2.2 percent reported both symptoms constantly or often." The authors explained that "increasing age, high blood pressure, benign prostatic hyperplasia," and "the use of antidepressants increase the chances of developing dry-eye disease."