CAN CL WEAR COMPARE TO NO-LENS WEAR?
NEW EVIDENCE COMPARING LUBRICITY OF THE NATURAL HUMAN CORNEA TO CONTACT LENSES
Tawnya Wilson, O.D., F.A.A.O.
PERHAPS OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE as clinicians is finding a contact lens that can provide the vision correction required while being as neutral to the ocular environment as possible to truly stand up to the kind of intense wear that many of our patients require. Most of us will probably think of oxygen transmissibility as one of the criteria toward achieving that goal. However, creating a lens that is nearly invisible to the eye demands more than can be achieved by oxygen transmission alone.
ENDEAVORS TO MIMIC THE EYE’S NATURAL STATE
Contact lens wear can interrupt the normal ocular surface homeostasis. Creating a scenario in which the cornea cannot discern between the lens and the eyelid and the eyelid cannot discern between the lens and the cornea, so the lens is almost invisible to the eye itself, may be helpful. 1-DAY ACUVUE TruEye Brand Contact Lenses come close to this goal by integrating HYDRACLEAR 1 Technology, a highly breathable silicone hydrogel material with the highest levels of embedded wetting agent (polyvinylpyrrolidone, or PVP) in the ACUVUE Brand family. This technology mimics the mucins of the cornea and eyelid and helps minimize the lens-eye interaction.
This EYE-INSPIRED Design helps patients who wear their lenses intensely (more than 5 days/week and 14 hours/day) keep their eyes in their natural state all day. In fact, after 365 days of daily use by neophyte wearers, the lenses were clinically shown to be comparable to no-lens wear on comfort and 5 of 6 key measures of ocular health (limbal, bulbar and palpebral redness, corneal staining and neovascularization).1
NEW FRONTIERS ON LUBRICITY RESEARCH
Lubricity plays an important role in the relationship between the eye’s natural surface and the surface of a contact lens. As new research illustrates, surface lubricity can be maintained in patients fit with the lenses. This study was conducted in an independent laboratory, where the lubricity of 1-DAY ACUVUE TruEye was compared to that of fresh, unpreserved human corneas. To measure lubricity, researchers used a microtribometer and fresh, unpreserved human corneas to determine the corneal coefficient of friction (CoF).2
Lubricity was then measured on unworn lenses fresh from the package and on lenses worn for more than 14 hours. Contact lenses with lower CoF have higher lubricity. In both cases, the lens was shown ex-vivo to be as lubricious as the natural cornea.
The lubricity of a contact lens can help keep eyes in their natural state. Based on the clinical data, the lenses help address this need, giving peace of mind to practitioners and to patients who put a priority on the long-term health of their eyes. OM
Beyond the Data
A Q&A with Dr. Larry Wan, O.D.
Q: THERE ARE SEVERAL SILICONE HYDROGELS ON THE MARKET. IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THEY ALL CLINICALLY EQUIVALENT?
Larry Wan, O.D.: Each silicone hydrogel lens has its own attributes. For me, I like 1-DAY ACUVUE TruEye Brand because it has the highest UV blocking†* available in a contact lens, it handles very well and the chance of dropout due to discomfort is very low in my experience. This helps me grow my contact lens practice.
Q: HOW DO YOU POSITION TRUEYE LENSES IN YOUR PRACTICE?
Dr. Wan: I don’t reserve it for a certain niche. When a new patient comes in, I ask a series of questions, including: “Do you have any concerns regarding contact lens use?” and “How often and for how long do you use your lenses?” For current contact lens wearers, I ask what would make their experience better. When you listen to patients talk about wanting to wear a lens for long hours each day and many days per week, and their concerns about the impact of this intense wear, it opens a discussion about the lenses, which can pre-empt a lot of the problems that might otherwise lead to dropout.
Q: HOW DOES THE LUBRICITY OF THE LENSES TRANSLATE INTO REAL-WORLD PATIENT PERFORMANCE IN INTENSE WEARERS?
Dr. Wan: A lens as lubricious as the natural human cornea helps minimize lens-eye interaction. My patients are not only comfortable but also show clinically insignificant signs of limbal redness, lid margin changes or corneal staining, even after intense wear. They are thrilled with the quality and experience of this lens.
Q: HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN LUBRICITY AND THE OTHER BENEFITS OF THE LENS TO PATIENTS?
Dr. Wan: I explain that not all eyes are the same and, therefore, there are several brands and types of lenses available to meet different patient needs. I talk about the benefits of having a fresh lens every day that you don’t need to clean. I explain that wearing TruEye has been clinically shown to be comparable to no lens wear in several key measures of eye health after 365 days of daily wear.1 What’s more, it has the added benefit of UV blocking.†* All of these things help me explain, in a compelling way, why I make a recommendation for 1-DAY ACUVUE TruEye.
| LARRY WAN, O.D., is in private practice at Family Eyecare Center in Campbell, CA. He received compensation from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. for his time spent for this article. |
REFERENCES
1. Morgan PB, Chamberlain P, Moody K, Maldonado-Codina C. Ocular physiology and comfort in neophyte subjects fitted with daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Cont Lens Anterior Eye.2013;36(3):118-125. Study conducted over 365 days.
2. Wilson T, Aeschlimann R, Tosatti S, Toubouti Y, Kakkassery J, Lorenz K. Coefficient of Friction of Human Corneal Tissue. Cornea 2015;34(9):1179-1185.
†Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation through the cornea and into the eye.
*WARNING: UV-absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV-absorbing eyewear, such as UV-absorbing goggles or sunglasses, because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV-absorbing eyewear as directed. NOTE: Long-term exposure to UV radiation is one of the risk factors associated with cataracts. Exposure is based on a number of factors such as environmental conditions (altitude, geography, cloud cover) and personal factors (extent and nature of outdoor activities). UV-blocking contact lenses help provide protection against harmful UV radiation. However, clinical studies have not yet been done to demonstrate that wearing UV-blocking contact lenses reduces the risk of developing cataracts or other ocular disorders. Consult your eye care practitioner for more information.
See page 4 for more important prescribing information.
| TAWNYA WILSON, O.D., F.A.A.O., is Principal Research Optometrist, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article. |
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