Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies.
| Study ID | Study type | A | M | Intervention dosage | Pt group | Time frame | Age (years) | Actual enrollment | Primary outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deinema and colleagues13 | I | R | D | Placebo (Olive oil 1500 mg/day) or Krill Oil (945 mg/day EPA + 510 mg/day DHA), Fish oil (1000 mg/day EPA +500 mg/day DHA) | Mild to moderate DED | 90 days | ⩾18 | 60 | Mean change in tear osmolarity and DED symptoms (OSDI) score |
| Epitropoulos and colleagues14 | I | R | D | 4 Soft gels total Treatment Group: 1680 mg of EPA /560 mg of DHA or control group = 3136 mg of linoleic acid daily |
DED MGS STAGE 1 OR 2 |
12 weeks | ⩾18 | 105 | Tear osmolarity, TBUT, OSDI, Fluorescein corneal staining, Schirmer test |
| Korb and colleagues15 | I | R | D | Group A = Treatment Group lipid emulsion eye drops, omega-3 supplements, and lid hygiene with eyelid wipes Group B = Apply warm, wet compresses once daily, 8 minutes per day. |
MGD | 3 Months | ⩾18 | 26 | Meibomian gland functionality |
| Macsai16 | I | R | D | Group A: Oral omega-3 dietary supplementation: two 1000-mg capsules 3 times a day. Group B = Placebo (olive oil) |
Blepharitis and simple obstructive MGD | 12 Months | ⩾18 | 38 | TBUT, meibum score, and OSDI score |
| Malhotra and colleagues17 | I | R | D | Both groups received warm compresses, lid massage, and artificial tear substitutes. Treatment group: Oral supplements of 1.2 g volatile FAs per day |
Moderate MGD | 3 Months | ⩾18 | 60 | Measure contrast sensitivity under photopic and scotopic conditions |
| Olenik and colleagues18 | I | R | D | Group A: Cleaning the lid margins, artificial tears, a placebo oral agent. Group B Cleaning the lid margins with neutral baby shampoo and artificial tears, omega-3 FA oral supplementation |
MGD and no tear stability | 3 Months | 23–85 | 61 | TBUT, Schirmer I test, OSDI, MG Expression, Evaluation of lid margin inflammation, interpalpebral and corneal staining |
Abbreviations: A, allocation; D, double (participant, investigator); DED, dry eye disease; FA, fatty acid; I, interventional (clinical trial); M, masking; MG, meibomian gland; MGD, meibomian gland dysfunction; OSDI: Ocular Surface Disease Index; P, prevention; PA, parallel assignment; Pt, patient; Q, quadruple (participant, care provided, investigator outcome assessor); R, randomized; T, treatment; TBUT, tear break up time.