The Prevalence and Incidence of Dry Eye Disease Among Patients Using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or Other Nasal Mask Therapy Devices to Treat Sleep Apnea

INTRODUCTION: Dry eye disease (DED) prevalence is estimated at 9.3% of the US adult population, although diagnosed rate is much lower. This study examined real-world incidence rates (IR) and prevalence rates (PR) of DED in adults using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or nasal mask therapy (NMT) devices to treat sleep apnea. METHODS: Using IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental claims databases, this study identified adults with ≥1 claim of CPAP or other NMT device between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2018, ≥1 diagnosis of sleep apnea during a 12-month pre-index period, and continuous benefit enrollment ≥12 pre- and post-index date. The date of the first CPAP or NMT device claim was considered the index date. Descriptive analyses included PR, IR, and IR per 100-person years (100PY) for the overall population and subgroups including age, sex, and baseline comorbidities. RESULTS: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year PR of DED was 6.2%, 10.0%, and 13.0%, while the IR of DED was 4.0%, 7.3%, and 10.3%, respectively. Females had a higher IR of DED compared to males: 5.8%, 10.8%, and 15.1% vs 3.0%, 5.4%, and 7.9%, respectively. DED increased with age with a 1-, 2-, and 3-year PR for patients aged 18–24 years of 2.2%, 3.4%, and 5.0% vs 17.6%, 25.8%, and 32.1% in patients aged ≥75, respectively. Overall, IR per 100PY of DED was 3.68, higher for females than males (5.51 vs 2.73). PR and IR of DED were high among patients with comorbid inflammatory or metabolic conditions. CONCLUSION: The PR and IR of DED in CPAP or NMT users were higher than the reported prevalence of DED in the general population. CPAP/NMT users who were female, older, or had comorbid inflammatory or metabolic conditions may experience a higher incidence and prevalence of DED.