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DRY EYE REDEFINED: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TFOS DEWS II ANNOUNCED
BALTIMORE, MD, May 07, 2017- The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) presented the conclusions and recommendations of the TFOS Dry Eye Workshop II(DEWS II™)during a special session of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. The TFOS DEWS II was designed to achieve a global consensus concerning multiple aspects of dry eye disease, and is the sequel to the original TFOS DEWS™ of ten years ago.
The objectives of TFOS DEWS II, which were explained by Dr. J. Daniel Nelson, the Workshop Chair, were toupdate the definition, classification and diagnosis of dry eye, critically evaluate the epidemiology, pathophysiology, mechanism, and impact of this disorder, address its management and therapy, and develop recommendations for the design of clinical trials to assess pharmaceutical interventions for dry eye treatment.
This TFOS DEWS II initiative is very important, because dry eye disease is a global problem, afflicting over 30 million people in the United States alone, and is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners. “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles,” stated Dr. Jennifer P. Craig, the Workshop Vice-Chair.
“TFOS DEWS II involved the efforts of 150 clinical and basic research experts from around the world, who utilized an evidence-based approach and a process of open communication, dialogue and transparency to increase our understanding of dry eye disease,” said Dr. David A. Sullivan, the Workshop Organizer. This process required more than 2 years to complete.
The TFOS DEWS II report will be published by
The Ocular Surface and distributed to scientists, clinicians, and patients worldwide. A downloadable version of the document and additional material will be available on the TFOS website:
www.TearFilm.org. Translations
of the report will be offered in numerous languages, including but not limited to English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
About TFOS
Founded in 2000, The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) is a world leader in eye health education headquartered in Boston. TFOS is dedicated to advancing the research, literacy and educational aspects of the scientific field of the eye’s surface. The TFOS network includes basic scientists, academic clinicians and industry representatives originating from more than 90 countries. The Society has published the TFOS International Dry Eye WorkShop (DEWS 2007), the TFOS International Report on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD 2011), the TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD 2013), and TFOS DEWS II (2017). More information about TFOS and these reports are available at www.tearfilm.org.
Note to Editors: Please note that TFOS has received financial support from many companies, including Alcon, Novartis, Shire, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, Akorn, CooperVision, Dompé, Horus Pharma, LubrisBioPharma, Oculeve, Sun Pharma, TearLab, SIFI, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Carl Zeiss Meditec/ZEISS Group, Quint Health, Scope Ophthalmics, and Senju.
Contact:
Amy Gallant Sullivan
Executive Director, TFOS
+1 617 605 7128
@Eyeppl
Amy@TearFilm.org