title: Efficacy of Green Tea Extract for Treatment of Dry Eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction; A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With an incidence rate of 9%, dry eye is a common problem of the ocular surface, especially in patients more than 40-year-old. Green tea extract has anti-oxidative, anti-bacterial, anti-androgen, and immunomodulatory properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of green tea extract for treatment of patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, 60 patients were selected within the age range of 30 to 70 years, and divided into two groups by blocked randomization method. Standard treatment included artificial tear eye drops, three times a day for a month for all patients. Topical green tea extract was prescribed three times a day for one month in one of the groups. All patients were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study for clinical symptoms based on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, Schirmer's test, Tear Breakup Time (TBUT), corneal and conjunctival staining and meibum score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of participants in the green tea and control group was 61 and 64 years respectively. In the green tea group, the mean score of clinical symptoms was 9±0.86 that improved to 4.86±0.55 after one month (p=0.002). Scores suggesting improvement of TBUTs and the health of meibomian glands were significantly higher in the green tea group (p=0.002). Furthermore, no side effects of the treatment were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Green tea extract is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated topical treatment for mild and moderate evaporative dry eyes and MGD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center , Shiraz, Iran .
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nejabat
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz, Iran .
authors.forename: Salehi Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reza
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center , Shiraz, Iran .
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zadmehr
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center , Shiraz, Iran .
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz, Iran .
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sobhani
keywords: Anti-bacterial; Anti-oxidative; Ocular surface; Schirmer test