Posters

The impact of Ramadan fasting on the tear osmolarity and tear meniscus parameters

Poster Details

First Author: E.Yildiz TURKEY

Co Author(s):    N. Tukenmez   E. Turhan Vural   S. Sevim        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

In the absence of any food or fluid intake during the hours of daylight during the month of Ramadan, a progressive loss of body water will occur over the course of each day, though these losses can be completely replaced each night. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effects of Ramadan fasting on the tear osmolarity and tear meniscus parameters during the hottest time of the year (between July 8, 2013 and August 7, 2013) in Istanbul, Turkey.

Setting:

Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul, Turkey

Methods:

37 healthy volunteers with a mean age of 30,8±6.9 years (ranged from 20 to 45 years) were included in this prospective study. Tear osmolarity measurement with the TearLab(&trade) Osmolarity System, tear-film images by RTVue-100 Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and anesthetized Schirmer test were obtained one week before and the last week of the Ramadan. Tear meniscus area (TMA), tear meniscus height (TMH), and tear meniscus depth (TMD) values were calculated from the images captured by anterior segment OCT. Measurements taken from the right eye were used for the analysis in all subjects. All measurements were taken in the same room conditions and at the same time of the day.

Results:

The mean tear osmolarity value was significantly higher than that after a 30-day of Ramadan fasting (the mean initial value of 311.1±11.8 versus 303.8±16, p=0.053). The mean TMA, TMD, TMH values before Ramadan (0.022±012, 172.2±47 and 237±64 , respectively) were significantly higher than those after Ramadan (0.014±0.01, 112.8±52 and 176.1±74.4, respectively) (p=0.00). The mean Schirmer test result was 21.03±11.4 before Ramadan and 22.37±11.8 after Ramadan and the result was not statistically significant (p=0.45).

Conclusions:

Fasting during the Ramadan causes significant changes in tear osmolarity and tear meniscus parameters. As an interesting outcome of this study, tear osmolarity values decreased after fasting in spite of the prolonged dehydration during the day. Further studies that investigate the impact of Ramadan fasting on dry eye patients are also needed. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE