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. 2024 Sep 11;386:e080474. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2024-080474

Table 3.

Intention to treat analysis: unadjusted effect of laughter exercise on clinical signs of dry eye disease at eight weeks

Laughter exercise group 0.1% hyaluronic acid group Between group difference in change (95% CI)§
Baseline† Week 8 Change (95% CI)‡ Baseline† Week 8 Change (95% CI)‡
Secondary outcomes
Proportion of decrease in OSDI total score of ≥10 (percentage points), (n=299 people) NA NA 49.3 (41.0 to 57.5) NA NA 47.3 (39.3 to 55.3) 1.96 (−9.53 to 13.5)
Clinical signs of dry eye disease, (n=598 eyes):
  Non-invasive tear break up time 7.95 (3.65) 11.2 (5.95) 3.21 (2.43 to 4.00)*** 7.91 (3.69) 8.82 (4.38) 0.92 (0.29 to 1.54)** 2.30 (1.30 to 3.30)***
 TMH (µm) 0.19 (0.05) 0.21 (0.06) 0.02 (0.01 to 0.03)*** 0.19 (0.05) 0.20 (0.06) 0.005 (−0.002 to 0.010) 0.014 (0.002 to 0.025)
 CFS score 0.76 (1.56) 0.57 (1.44) −0.19 (−0.42 to 0.04) 0.59 (1.27) 0.53 (1.41) −0.06 (−0.27 to 0.15) −0.13 (−0.43 to 0.17)
Psychological outcomes, (n=299 people):
 SAS score 42.7 (9.15) 39.7 (10.1) −3.05 (−4.39 to −1.71)*** 41.3 (7.94) 39.3 (8.42) −1.98 (−3.14 to −0.82)*** −1.07 (−2.84 to 0.70)
 SDS score 45.8 (10.8) 42.8 (11.4) −2.95 (−4.40 to −1.50)*** 43.7 (10.4) 42.0 (11.1) −1.68 (−2.95 to −0.41)** −1.26 (−3.19 to 0.66)
 SHS score 4.46 (1.24) 4.56 (1.18) 0.09 (−0.06 to 0.24) 4.42 (1.23) 4.52 (1.15) 0.10 (−0.05 to 0.25) −0.003 (−0.21 to 0.21)
 PSQI score 6.49 (3.01) 6.63 (2.90) 0.14 (−0.23 to 0.60) 6.67 (2.63) 6.84 (2.88) 0.17 (−0.25 to 0.59) −0.04 (−0.66 to 0.59)
SF-36 score:
 Physical health subscale 92.6 (9.66) 94.0 (8.76) 1.46 (−0.04 to 2.95) 91.0 (11.6) 92.5 (11.2) 1.48 (0.11 to 2.84)* −0.02 (−2.04 to 2.00)
 Mental health subscale 64.7 (17.7) 68.0 (19.3) 3.28 (0.80 to 5.75)** 67.1 (16.3) 68.0 (17.0) 0.89 (−1.06 to 2.85) 2.39 (−0.78 to 5.55)
Exploratory outcomes (n=598 eyes)
Fluorescein tear break-up time 1.89 (0.94) 3.70 (1.58) 1.82 (1.60 to 2.03) 1.91 (0.94) 2.23 (1.09) 0.32 (0.16 to 0.48) 1.50 (1.23 to 1.76)
Secretory capacity of meibomian gland 0.46 (0.68) 0.22 (0.47) −0.24 (−0.33 to −0.14) 0.44 (0.64) 0.46 (0.64) 0.01 (−0.07 to 0.10) −0.25 (−0.38 to −0.13)
Properties of meibomian glands  secretion 2.20 (0.86) 1.84 (0.89) −0.36 (−0.48 to −0.24) 2.22 (0.83) 2.35 (0.73) 0.13 (0.03 to 0.24) −0.49 (−0.65 to −0.33)
Meibomian glands secretion property score 9.67 (5.29) 5.89 (4.17) −3.78 (−4.45 to −3.12) 9.57 (4.94) 10.7 (4.84) 1.13 (0.54 to 1.71) −4.91 (−5.80 to −4.02)

Data are mean (standard deviation) or difference mean (95% CI).

CFS=corneal fluorescein staining; CI=confidence interval; PSQI=Pittsburgh sleep quality index; SAS=self-rating anxiety scale; SDS=self-rating depression scale; SF-36=short form health survey; SHS=subjective happiness scale; TMH=tear meniscus height.

*

P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, P value for between group difference was adjusted by the Benjamini-Hochberg with a false discovery rate of 0.05 for multiple comparisons. After adjustment, only the difference in non-invasive tear break-up time with P<0.001.

No baseline difference between groups for clinical outcomes by generalised estimated equation (GEE) model with adjusting for intra-eye correlation, and two sample t-test for psychological outcomes.

GEE model with adjusting for intra-eye correlation for clinical signs and paired t-test for psychological outcomes.

§

GEE model with adjusting for intra-eye correlation for clinical signs and two sample t-test for psychological outcomes.