The Potential of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: A Narrative Review

Hodžić, Nejra; Banjari, Ines; Bhoi, Priyadarshini; Hodžić, Zumra; Mušanović, Zlatko; Nadarević-Vodenčarević, Amra

doi:10.33091/amj.2024.144837.1450

	The Potential of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: A Narrative Review
Al- Anbar Medical Journal
Volume 20, Issue 1, June 2024, Pages 3-9 PDF (1.78 M)
Document Type: Review articles
DOI: 10.33091/amj.2024.144837.1450
Authors
Nejra Hodžić¹; Ines Banjari^* ²; Priyadarshini Bhoi¹; Zumra Hodžić³; Zlatko Mušanović⁴; Amra Nadarević-Vodenčarević⁴
¹Department of Ophthalmology, Plava Medical Group, 3.Tuzlanske brigade 7, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina
²Department of Food and Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, F. Kuhača 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
³Department of Family Medicine, Health Care Center, Kulinabanabb, 75300 Lukavac, Bosnia & Herzegovina
⁴Department of Ophthalmology, University Clinical Center, Trnovac bb, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Abstract
As one of the most common diseases in ophthalmology today, dry eye disease (DED) poses a great challenge for public health systems globally. This is a multifactorial condition involving the production/evaporation of tears and consequential damage to the ocular surface. Symptoms of DED like discomfort and visual disturbance alter a person’s quality of life and pose a significant economic burden to healthcare systems. Today’s lifestyle favors DED development, especially long-term exposure to screens, poor sleep quality, and a diet abundant in saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids, and we can expect that its prevalence will extend far beyond the currently estimated 10%. The underlying inflammation and symptoms of DED, are treated with various anti-inflammatory agents and autologous and/or allogeneic serum drops. Considering the role of lifestyle in DED pathophysiology, lifestyle modifications, including diet, sleep, and physical activity are getting more attention. Among them, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids shows the most promising results in alleviating subjective and objective measures of DED through a direct effect on the stability and production of the tear film, inflammation markers, and corneal nerve regeneration. We aimed to provide insights into currently available research findings supporting omega-3 fatty acids as a valuable adjuvant therapy in treating DED.
Keywords
Dry Eye Disease; Tear; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Supplementation; Diet

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