Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the tear film and ocular surface that leads to a significant loss of quality of life for individuals and incurs costs for society. It is considered one of the four most common eye disorders. International epidemiological studies report prevalence rates ranging from 11 to 36 percent, depending on the population studied.
In the Level-3 project Epidemiology of Dry Eye in Germany II (Dry-Eye II), 5,000 participants from the Düsseldorf subcohort of the German National Cohort (NAKO) undergo an examination of the tear film and ocular surface using the Oculus Keratograph 5. This project allows, for the first time, an objective determination of dry eye parameters and will help to better understand the risk factors and prevalence of the disease. Additionally, it will enable a reassessment of the validity of the Dry-Eye I questionnaire, as well as the relationships with quality of life, other diseases, and treatment costs.
