27 October 2026
New research published in Translational Vision Science & Technology has explored the effect of omega-3 supplementation on the risk that patients with dry eye disease will develop glaucoma.
Researchers from Taiwan and the US examined data relating to 14,168 individuals with dry eye disease from a multinational database.
The individuals were divided into an exposure group, who had taken omega-3 supplements, and a control group, who had not taken omega-3 supplements.
The omega-3 supplement group needed to have received at least two prescriptions for omega-3 over a single 12-month period between 2013 and 2023.
The control group had never received a prescription for omega-3 supplements.
Over a five-year follow up period, the researchers examined the incidence of glaucoma and ocular hypertension, as well as primary open-angle glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma and primary angle-closure glaucoma.
The found that individuals with dry eye disease who had received an omega-3 prescription were around half as likely to develop glaucoma, and 43% less likely to develop ocular hypertension.
The researchers concluded that omega-3 supplementation in patients with dry eye disease may decrease disease burden.
“Omega-3 fatty acid supplementations may have the potential to decrease glaucoma risk in individuals with dry eye disease,” the study authors concluded.
Reflecting on the possible mechanisms underlying this association, the researchers noted that omega-3 fatty acids may decrease glaucoma risk by lowering intraocular pressure, enhancing ocular blood flow, providing neuroprotection, and mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation.
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