My name is Dr. Andrew Pucker. I am an optometrist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, where I work in clinical practice, and am the Director of Clinical Research. My work is primarily focused on myopia management, contact lenses, and ocular surface disease. My colleagues and I recently conducted an investigator-initiated trial to evaluate the ability of SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF preservative-free artificial tears to improve symptoms and quality of life measures in heavy digital device users with symptoms of ocular dryness. In addition to two active lubricants, SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF includes a combination of HP-Guar — the foundation of SYSTANE® artificial tears — and the naturally occurring hydrophilic molecule, sodium hyaluronate. Participants were enrolled if they reported 8 or more hours of daily digital device use, as well as a score on the IDEEL-Quality of Life Work domain of 80 or less and an OSDI score indicating mild-to-moderate ocular surface disease. All participants were instructed to administer SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF drops four or more times per day for the duration of the two-week study. Participants used either the SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF unit-dose vial or multi-dose bottle delivery system for the first week of the study, as determined by randomization, and then switched to the other delivery system for the second week. Clinical measurements took place at baseline and then at the end of weeks 1 and 2. IDEEL-Quality of Life and OSDI questionnaires were completed at all three study visits. In addition, a visual analog scale home diary was completed to evaluate ocular comfort. A Likert questionnaire assessing delivery system preference was completed at the Week 1 and Week 2 visits.
Looking at the study population, mean age was approximately 28 years, and 70% of participants were female. Digital device use was consistent at all evaluations, averaging 12.4 hours per day on Day 1, 12.9 hours per day at the 1-week evaluation and 10.7 hours per day at 2 weeks. When we looked at questionnaire data, we found that using SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF significantly improved mean IDEEL-Quality of Life Daily Activities, Feelings, and Work domain scores across all visits compared to baseline. Mean OSDI scores also significantly improved over the two-week period. Analysis of the visual analog scale data revealed significant improvements in end of day eye comfort at Week 2 in comparison to Day 1. Likert questionnaire results indicated similar levels of preference for the multi-dose bottle and unit-dose vials, though more participants indicated that they considered the multi-dose bottle to be more environmentally friendly.
SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF’s combination of two active lubricants, HP-Guar-borate gelling technology, and sodium hyaluronate is unique among artificial tears. Studies have shown that this formulation supports long-lasting moisture retention and dry eye symptom relief. The data from this study indicate that SYSTANE® HYDRATION PF can significantly improve symptoms and dry eye-related quality of life measures in symptomatic individuals who are heavy daily digital device users. This is important because digital screen use is increasingly acknowledged as a risk factor for dry eye,4 and because of its growing prevalence in daily life. Both the unit-dose and multi-dose bottle delivery systems were well-received by patients, indicating that doctors can recommend either option, based on patient needs or preferences.
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