While dry eye disease affects 38 million people in the United States, an estimated 150 million people experience symptoms of dry eye.1,2 Nutraceuticals, such as vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), have been extensively studied in the management of dry eye and are commonly prescribed in its management.
A BREAKTHROUGH IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION
Blink™ NutriTears® is a clinically proven nutritional supplement shown to provide noticeable, lasting relief of dry eye symptoms in as little as 2 to 4 weeks.§ Clinical studies of Blink™ NutriTears® have shown that it addresses dry eyes from the inside out, promotes healthy tear production, and reduces patient-reported dry eye discomfort: Blink™ NutriTears® is a once-a-day supplement containing three active ingredients that provide antioxidative effects: curcuminoids, vitamin D3, and lutein and zeaxanthinisomers.4 The ingredients in Blink™ NutriTears® address key drivers of dry eye symptoms, such as cellular damage from oxidative stress.
At the clinical level, the benefits of Blink™ NutriTears® were demonstrated in two randomized, double-masked, placebocontrolled studies conducted in India (N=60) and the United States (N=155).4,6 These studies randomized participants with dry eyes 1:1 to receive oral Blink™ NutriTears® or placebo once daily for 8 weeks. At 8 weeks, Blink™ NutriTears® provided participants significant improvements in ocular surface health, including tear film volume (Schirmer test) and dry eye symptoms (Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI]), as well as ocular surface staining, tear osmolarity, Standard Patient Evaluation of Eve Dryness (SPEED) score, and matrix metalloproteinase-g (mmp-9) levels compared to placebo and
was well tolerated.
BLINK™ NUTRITEARS® IN PRACTICE
According to the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop Il (TFOS DEWS Il) Management and Therapy Report and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Preferred Practice Pattern®, the first stage of dry eye management includes nutritional
supplementation and education as well as over-the-counter artificial tears.7,8
Be sure to recommend both Blink™ NutriTears® and Blink' Triple Care lubricating eye
drops to your patients with dry eyes or dry eye symptoms.
IS THERE STILL A ROLE FOR OMEGA-3 IN DRY EYE RELIEF?
In past decades. numerous randomizec controlled trials have investigated the role of omega-3 FA supplementation in the relief for dry eye.° While many studies have shown a benefit in dry eye management,'° a Cochrane systematic review on this topic included 4314 adult participants with dry eye of variable severities and etiologies, with up to 12 months of follow-
up data from 34 randomized controlled trials.!" In evaluating these clinical data the comprehensive analysis reached the key conclusion that-when it comes to dry
eye-the collective evidence for the benefit of omega-3 supplementation is uncertain.
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Blink™ NutriTears® is a breakthrough supplement that is clinically proven to provide lasting relief for dry eyes in 2 to 4 weeks§ by:
- Addressing dry eye from the inside out§
- Promoting healthy tear production§
- Reducing patient-reported dry eye discomfort§
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References:
- US population by age and gender, 2020. 2. Calculated trom Gallup Multisponsor Surveys, 2022. Incidence of Dry Eves in US Adult Population. N = 1.039. 3. Castro-Castaneda CR. Altamirano-Lamarque F, Ortega-Macias AG, et al. Nutraceuticals: a promising therapeutic approach in ophthalmology. Nutrients 2022; 14(23):5014. 4. Gioia N. Gerson J, Ryan R, Barbour KA, Poteet J, Perriman LM. A novel multi-ingrediant supplement significantly improves ocular symptom severity and tear production in patients with dry eye disease: results from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Front Ophthalmol. 2024;4:1362113. 5. Clayton JA, Dry eye. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(23):2212-2223. 6. Radkar P, Lakshmanan PS, Mary JJ, Chaudhary S. Duriraj SK. A novel multi-ingrediant supplement reduces inflammation of the eye and improves production and quality of tears in humans. Ophthal Ther. 2021;10(3):581-599. 7. Jones L, Downie LE. Korb D. et al. TFOS DEWS II Management and Therapv Report. Ocul Surf. 2017:15(3):575-628. 8. Akpek EK, Amescua G, Farid M, et al. Dry Eye Syndrome Preferred Practice Pattern. Ophthalmology
2019:126(1):P286-P334. 9. Markoulli M. Ahmad S. Arcot J. et al. TOS Lifestvle: impact of nutrition on the ocular surface. Ocul Surf. 023;29:226-271. 10. Wang WX, Ko ML. Efficacy of omega-3 intake in managing dry eye disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Med. 2023;12(22)7026. 11. Downie LE, Ng SM, Lindsley KB, Akpek EK. Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids for dry eye disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;12(12):CD011016.
§ Based on a clinical study.
Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FOWNS, is an is an optometrist with 26 years of experience practicing in Acworth, GA. She specializes in pediatric vision care and ocular nutrition. and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist with a Masters of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.
