Preservative-free eye drop improves mild-to-moderate dry eye symptoms over one month

Systane COMPLETE Preservative-Free eye drop, used 4 times daily for 1 month, was associated with significant reductions in mild-to-moderate dry eye symptoms, including end-of-day dryness, as measured by Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and DEQ-5 scores, according to a study.

The multicenter, prospective longitudinal study included 86 participants with mild-to-moderate dry eye symptoms, defined by an OSDI score between 13 and 32, who were instructed to instill the drops upon waking, at midday, in the afternoon, and 2 hours before bedtime for 1 month. Weekly questionnaires were completed, and clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and at the end of the study.

Significant reductions were observed in both OSDI and DEQ-5 scores at all follow-up visits (P < 0.01), with symptom scores decreasing to less than half of baseline levels. Improvements in end-of-day symptoms were reflected in lower DEQ-5 scores at the final visit.

Baseline DEQ-5 scores showed correlations with limbal hyperemia (P = 0.24; P = 0.02) and conjunctival staining (P = 0.28; P < 0.01). OSDI scores correlated with conjunctival staining (P = 0.38; P = 0.03). In addition, DEQ-5 scores were associated with several environmental variables (P = 0.23–0.33; P < 0.04).

Reference
Baños C, Garcia-Garcia R, Garcia-Garcia B, et al. Improvement of dryness symptoms at the end of the day with artificial tear. J Optom. 2026;19(2):100608. doi: 10.1016/j.optom.2026.100608. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41723996.