Dry Eye and Some Related Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy: A Cross-Sectional Study in Vietnam

Aim: To determine the prevalence of dry eye (DE) and some related factors in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 338 people, who were divided into 2 groups: 169 T2DN patients and 169 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) without renal complications as a control group. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and test fluorescein tear-film break-up time (TBUT) were done in all 338 subjects. Patients with OSDI scores < 13 and TBUT values equal to or under 10 seconds were diagnosed with dry eye. Results: The prevalence of DE in T2DN patients was significantly higher than T2DM group (55.6% versus 37.3%). The T2DN groups with dry eye had a median duration of DM, the proportion of hypertension, peripheral nerve complications, anemia, proportion of using insulin, and concentration of plasma glucose, HbA1C, urea, creatinine, CRP-hs significantly higher than those of T2DN without dry eye. Advanced age, high HbA1C level, and decreased eGFR were independent factors associated with dry eye in T2DN patients. Conclusion: Dry eye was a common condition associated with advanced age, high HbA1C levels, and decreased GFR in T2DN patients.