What's new in dry eye research today? | Oct 5, 2026

【Title】 Patient-reported outcome measures 1 year after conjunctival melanoma treatment using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OPT30 questionnaires

【Journal】 Eye (Lond)

【Authors】 Catharine Kwok; Imran Malik; Helya Aghazadeh; et al.

【Summary】 This retrospective, cross-sectional case series evaluated patient-reported outcomes one year after treatment for conjunctival melanoma using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OPT30 questionnaires. Of 13 eligible patients, 11 completed the questionnaires. Overall, the reported impact was mild, although patients experienced some limitations in daily activities, hobbies, and social participation, as well as psychological concerns, including depression and worry. Common ocular symptoms included dry eye, watering, difficulty driving at night, and difficulty judging distances. Mean overall health and quality-of-life scores were 4.91 and 5.18 out of 7, respectively. These findings may help clinicians anticipate patients’ long-term needs and improve supportive care.

【Title】 Unsupervised machine learning for multi-system adverse event pattern detection in pharmacovigilance: A proof-of-concept analysis of fluoroquinolone reports in FAERS

【Journal】 Br J Clin Pharmacol

【Authors】 Niaz Chalabianloo; Sheikh S Abdullah; Kamran Sedig; et al.

【Summary】 This proof-of-concept study evaluated unsupervised machine learning for detecting multi-system adverse event patterns in pharmacovigilance data. Researchers analysed 40,127 adult fluoroquinolone reports in FAERS from 2004 to 2025. Clustering identified a reproducible subgroup comprising 10.1% of reports, characterized by neuropsychiatric, musculoskeletal, and sensory adverse events. Dry eye was enriched in this cluster, with a lift of 7.8. Post hoc analysis showed a higher proportion of disabling reports in this subgroup than in others (43.0% vs. 11.7%). Similar patterns were identified using alternative algorithms and antibiotic comparators. These findings are hypothesis-generating and do not establish causality or incidence.

【Title】 Health Belief Model-Based Education to Improve Water Intake and Hydration in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

【Journal】 J Gerontol Nurs

【Authors】 Arzu Çimen; Reva Balcı Akpınar

【Summary】 This randomized controlled trial evaluated Health Belief Model (HBM)-based education to improve hydration and dry eye symptoms in 80 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older with daily water intake below 1 L. Participants were assigned to an intervention group receiving individualized education, a booklet, and an intake log, or a control group. After the intervention, mean daily water intake increased significantly in the intervention group (749.8 vs. 572.9 mL; p < .001), while thirst discomfort decreased and hydration biomarkers improved. Ocular Surface Disease Index scores also improved (p = .002), although the clinical impact was limited. Long-term effects require further investigation.