Progesterone can Effectively Treat Dry Eye Syndrome

A topical cream containing 15% progesterone can effectively treat dry eye syndrome, according to a study.

"The data suggest the anti-inflammatory properties of progesterone may be useful for dry eye treatments," said Charles G. Connor, PhD, OD, in a poster presentation here at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Dr. Connor evaluated tear breakup time, Schirmer's test results and IOP and administered the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire to 30 patients to measure the effectiveness of the topical progesterone treatment. He found that tear breakup time significantly improved from 5.96 ± 2.18 seconds at baseline to 8 ± 3.5 seconds after 3 weeks of treatment with the cream. Schirmer's test results also improved after treatment, although not significantly, from 11.9 ± 6.87 mm at baseline to 14.175 ± 8.41 mm.

There was no change in IOP throughout the 3-week treatment period, and the OSDI score reflected symptomatic improvement of 20%, going from 28 to 22, and this was significant at the P = .05 level,Dr. Connor said.

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Progesterone can Effectively Treat Dry Eye Syndrome