title: Acupuncture for the treatment of dry eye: a multicenter randomised controlled trial with active comparison intervention (artificial teardrops).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of acupuncture compared to a control group using artificial tears.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  multicenter randomised controlled trial (three local research hospitals of South Korea).
  
  
  METHODS
  150 patients with moderate to severe dry eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly allocated into four weeks of acupuncture treatment (bilateral BL2, GB14, TE 23, Ex1, ST1, GB20, LI4, LI11 and single GV23) or to the artificial tears group (sodium carboxymethylcellulose).
  
  
  METHODS
  The ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear film break-up time (TFBUT), Schirmer Ι test, visual analogue scale (VAS) for self-assessment of ocular discomfort, general assessment (by both acupuncture practitioners and participants) and quality of life (QOL) through the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile-2 (MYMOP-2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between two groups for the improvement of dry eye symptoms as measured by OSDI (MD -16.11, 95% CI [-20.91, -11.32] with acupuncture and -15.37, 95% CI [-19.57, -11.16] with artificial tears; P = 0.419), VAS (acupuncture: -23.84 [-29.59, -18.09]; artificial tears: -22.2 [-27.24, -17.16], P = 0.530) or quality of life (acupuncture: -1.32 [-1.65, -0.99]; artificial tears: -0.96 [-1.32, -0.6], P = 0.42) immediately after treatment. However, compared with artificial tears group, the OSDI (acupuncture: -16.15 [-21.38, -10.92]; artificial tears: -10.76 [-15.25, -6.27], P = 0.030) and VAS (acupuncture: -23.88 [-30.9, -16.86]; artificial tears: -14.71 [-20.86, -8.55], P = 0.018) were significantly improved in the acupuncture group at 8 weeks after the end of acupuncture treatment. TFBUT measurements increased significantly in the acupuncture group after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture may have benefits on the mid-term outcomes related to dry eye syndrome compared with artificial tears.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01105221.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Centre, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kun Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Mi-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ae-Ran
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jin-Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kwon Eui
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Seung-Deok
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions