A new study conducted by Frank A Bucci Jr., MD, an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon, shows a correlation between intake of HydroEye, a patent-pending nutritional supplement developed by ScienceBased Health, and increased lactoferrin levels - a protective protein in tears that is widely accepted as an indicator of ocular surface health.

HydroEye, a proprietary blend of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and other key nutrients, is formulated to help retain eye moisture by supporting tear flow and ocular surface health.

Tear lactoferrin level is a diagnostic tool for dry eye, with levels below 0.9 mg/ml being indicative of dry eye. In patients with severe tear-deficient dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), 83.3% have tear lactoferrin levels below 0.9 mg/ml, and many have about half the level of tear lactoferrin found in normal eyes.

In part I of the pilot study, 13 patients with normal levels of lactoferrin (mean of 0.91 mg/ml) were administered two capsules of HydroEye daily for 8 weeks. By the fourth week, lactoferrin had increased by 56% over baseline levels, and sustained a 50% increase for the remainder of the study.

In the second part of the study, patients scheduled for Lasik surgery were given HydroEye for four weeks (average of 18.5 days on the supplement), and lactoferrin levels were assessed on the day prior to the procedure. Compared with pretreatment levels, tear lactoferrin rose by 40% - from a mean of 0.83 mg/ml to 1.17 mg/ml.

Many patients who undergo Lasik surgery are at risk for dry eye, and lactoferrin levels typically drop by about 20% postsurgery, according to Bucci. "This preliminary data indicates that taking HydroEye 3 to 4 weeks before surgery can significantly boost tear lactoferrin levels," said Bucci. "I strongly suspect that we may be able to mitigate the expected drop in lactoferrin that Lasik patients experience by administering HydroEye pre- and post-Lasik."

"We were thrilled to learn about Dr. Bucci's findings on the correlation between HydroEye use and increased lactoferrin levels," said R. Scot Hunter, president and CEO of ScienceBased Health. "Dry eye is one of the most common problems treated by eye care practitioners. According to the American Optometric Association, an estimated 59 million Americans (one out of every five) suffer from symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome, including 75% of people over 65 years of age. Since HydroEye's launch last year, we have been overwhelmed with success stories from HydroEye users. We plan to continue to research HydroEye and its role in helping individuals with dry eyes." This article was prepared by Drug Week editors from staff and other reports.

　　From newsrx.com