To investigate the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and risk factors of dry eye syndrome (DES) among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area.

A cross-sectional prevalence study was performed on 462 people over 50 years old in Dong-gu, Incheon. DES was defined as the constant or frequent presence of symptoms of both dryness and irritation. Symptoms and past medical history were assessed by a survey. Eye examination included slit lamp examination, Schirmer test, and tear break-up time (T-BUT). Age, sex, living habits, systemic and eye diseases were also analyzed to determine the risk factors of DES.

The prevalence of DES was 26.2%. The major symptoms were as follows in descending order: dryness (77.9%), tearing (75.2%), and sandiness (72.7%). An average of 12.1 ± 6.0 mm in the Schirmer test and 6.7 ± 2.4 seconds in the T-BUT were significantly different in the DES group from the normal group ( p < 0.001). Variables such as age, sex, living habits, and eye diseases were not related to the diagnosis of DES, whereas diabetes was the only risk factor of DES with statistical significance ( p = 0.03).

In the present study, the prevalence of DES among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area was 26.2%. Schirmer test and T-BUT were considered to be helpful tools for the diagnosis of DES, and diabetes was a significant risk factor of DES.