Association Between Statin Use and Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Am J OphthalmolJun 22, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchOphthalmology

David Gou, Weilin Qiu, Vivian Chang et al.

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In 30 seconds

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between statin use and dry eye disease (DED) in a population of over 560,000 individuals. The analysis found a significant positive association, with an odds ratio of 1.09 (95% CI 1.05-1.13, P < .001), indicating a small increase in DED cases among statin users. The evidence was rated as very low certainty due to study design limitations.

Key findings

  • Statin use was associated with an odds ratio of 1.09 for developing dry eye disease.
  • There was an absolute risk difference of 10.2 more DED cases per 1000 statin users.
  • The analysis included six observational studies with a total of 560,821 participants.
  • Subgroup analyses showed no evidence of effect modification across studies.

Why it matters

Understanding the potential link between statin use and dry eye disease is crucial for clinicians, as it may influence patient management and monitoring strategies, particularly in those with pre-existing risk factors for ocular surface symptoms.

What to keep in mind

The evidence was derived from very low-certainty studies, with serious inconsistencies noted in study design.

Source

Published in Am J Ophthalmol. This summary was written by xxcode from the publication's abstract and metadata. It is not peer reviewed and is not a substitute for the original article. For clinical decisions, review the original publication.

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AI-generated summaries may contain errors or omissions. Verify clinically important information with the original publication.

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