title: Prevalence of dry eye disease in an elderly Korean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye disease (DED) in an elderly Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This population-based study in Yongin, Korea, included 657 individuals 65 years or older randomly selected from an official household registration database. Dry eye symptoms were assessed using a 6-item questionnaire, and DED was defined as having 1 or more dry eye symptoms often or all the time. Dry eye tests, including the Schirmer test, tear film break-up time measured using fluorescein, cornea fluorescein staining, and examination for meibomian gland dysfunction, were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crude prevalence of DED was 30.3%, and the age-, sex-, and region (urban vs rural)-adjusted prevalence was 33.2%. Women (P = .01) and urban dwellers (P = .001) were more likely to have DED. Of those with DED, 85.1% had tear film break-up time of 10 seconds or less, 54.1% had meibomian gland dysfunction, 39.2% had a fluorescein score of 1 or greater, and 32.8% had a Schirmer test score of 5 mm or less. A low Schirmer score was correlated with increased prevalence of DED, although sensitivity was low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dry eye disease is common in elderly Koreans; female sex and living in an urban region were strongly correlated with its frequency. We also noted a positive correlation between low Schirmer test scores and symptom-based DED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 166 Gumiro, Bundanggu, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggido 463-707, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Joon Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hyon
authors.forename: Se Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Jung Jae
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae Hui
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data