Efficacy of Sodium Hyaluronate and Carboxymethylcellulose in Treating Mild to Moderate Dry Eye Disease

Efficacy of Sodium Hyaluronate and Carboxymethylcellulose in Treating Mild to Moderate Dry Eye Disease

Article specifications

This clinical trial was published in 2011 in journal of Cornea (IF 2017:2.010) by Korean ophthalmologists. In this study efficacy and safety of sodium hyaluronate (SH) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in treating mild to moderate dry eye were evaluated. 67 patients with mild to moderate dry eye were treated 6 times a day with preservative-free unit dose formula eyedrops containing 0.1% SH or 0.5% CMC for 8 weeks. Corneal and conjunctival staining with fluorescein, tear film breakup time, subjective symptoms, and adverse reactions were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after treatment initiation.

Results

The results of the study showed that there is no significant different between efficacy and safety of SH and CMC and they both can decrease the symptoms of mild to moderate dry eye syndrome. BUT In relation to dry eye symptoms, the SH group showed better improvement of subjective symptoms than that of the CMC group. SH has a stabilizing effect on the tear film,10 which protects the ocular surface from irritations. The high water retention capacity of SH also contributes to a favorable microenvironment during the ocular surface repair process. SH may play a role in promoting epithelial cell proliferation and migration.