Introduction
obesity, ocular pain, redness, impairments of the lacrimal gland, itching, fatigue, inflammation, dry eye, Tear deficiency, atrophy, tear film disorder, diabetes
OBESITY, METAPLASIA, INFLAMMATION, DISEASE, ASSOCIATED DISEASE, DRY EYE, ATROPHY, METABOLIC SYNDROME, HYPERTENSION, COMPLICATIONS, DIABETES
Tear deficiency or excessive evaporation is the main descriptive definition of the tear film disorder, dry eye (DE). DE can damage the interpalpebral ocular surface with subsequent symptoms of ocular discomfort [The symptomatic discomfort expresses itself in DE as ocular pain, itching, scleral redness, light sensitivity, fatigue or strain, heavy or foreign body sensation, and discharge [The global percentage of DE prevalence ranges from 5 to 87.5 [Physiological and structural ocular changes that occur with biological aging may explain the mechanism of DE in the elderly. Decreased tear secretion/volume, increased tear evaporation, apparent impairments of the lacrimal gland (histological, functional, and structural impairments), atrophy of the meibomian gland (this gland secretes the tear-containing lipid layer), and metaplasia of ocular orifices are local ocular changes predispose DE with aging. Low-grade chronic local and systemic inflammation is another apparent sign of DE in the elderly due to the aging of their immune system [As life expectancy increases, the elderly tend to have a sedentary lifestyle. This lifestyle is the cause of elderly’s obesity and its associated diseases and/or complications including hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and the highly prevalent DE [Nowadays, the available medical treatments for DE are frustrating for sufferers and ophthalmologists [Considering DE a lifestyle disease, the application of caloric restrictive and exercise approaches is an advisable lifestyle for DE patients [