Impact of Dietary Nutrients on the Prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome among Korean Women Aged 40 and above: Evidence from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dry eye syndrome among Korean women aged 40 and above and explore the correlation between the syndrome and daily dietary nutrient intake. We analyzed data from 92,888 female participants (mean age: 63.35 +/- 8.86 years) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2019). Dietary intake was evaluated using a personalized 24 h recall method for 21 nutrients, including macronutrients, macro- and micro-minerals, and both water- and fat-soluble vitamins. Associations between nutrient intake and dry eye syndrome were determined using odds ratios from multivariate logistic regression. We found a 7.7% prevalence of dry eye syndrome in the population studied. Intake of dietary fiber (adjusted OR: 0.72), protein (adjusted OR: 0.84), omega-3 fatty acids (adjusted OR: 0.90), water (adjusted OR: 0.76), calcium (adjusted OR: 0.82), phosphate (adjusted OR: 0.87), potassium (adjusted OR: 0.88), magnesium (adjusted OR: 0.87), vitamin A (adjusted OR: 0.78), vitamin C (adjusted OR: 0.73), and vitamin E (adjusted OR: 0.86) was inversely associated with dry eye syndrome prevalence (p < 0.0001 for all). Conversely, a higher intake of carbohydrates (adjusted OR: 1.23), sugar (adjusted OR: 1.30), fat (adjusted OR: 1.25), cholesterol (adjusted OR: 1.32), sodium (adjusted OR: 1.18), iron (adjusted OR: 1.28), and zinc (adjusted OR: 1.26) correlated with an increased risk (p < 0.0001 for all). No significant associations were found between the prevalence of dry eye syndrome and the intake of omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin D. Our study identified significant associations between specific dietary nutrients and the risk of dry eye syndrome among Korean women aged 40 and above. These findings suggest that dietary choices could influence the likelihood of developing dry eye syndrome, indicating a potential role for dietary intervention in its management. However, it is important to note that these observations are preliminary, and further research is necessary to confirm these relationships and explore their implications for dietary recommendations in dry eye syndrome prevention and management.