Occurrence of Dry Eye Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients at a Tertiary Care Center in Maharashtra: A Prevalence Study

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of dry eye disease (DED) among individuals with type 2 diabetes in a community-based setting. Additionally, the study aimed to identify factors associated with the presence of DED in this population.  Methods: A total of 136 randomly selected patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated in the study, undergoing comprehensive ophthalmic evaluations. These evaluations included corneal sensitivity testing, tear film break-up time (BUT) assessment, the Schirmer I test, and fundus photography. The severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was graded according to the International Severity Scale.  Results: Among the 136 subjects, 23 (17.1%) were diagnosed with DED. There were significant associations between DED and higher blood glucose levels (P < 0.001) as well as elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (P < 0.001).  Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of incorporating dry eye assessments into the routine screening protocol for diabetic patients. The observed prevalence of DED at 17.1% in this cohort is lower than the rates reported in other studies. Importantly, individuals with diabetes who have poorer metabolic control are at a higher risk of developing DED.