New Report published on Dry Eye Classification 

A ground breaking new report has updated the classification and diagnosis of Dry Eye Disease as the new figures reveal the condition affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS), a global leader in eye health education, published the report in the peer-reviewed journal The Ocular Surface as part of Dry Eye Disease Awareness Month. (Image courtesy of www.tearfilm.org)

The TFOS DEWS II initiative spanned a three-year period across three continents with 23 representative countries—under the organisation of TFOS founder Dr David A. Sullivan, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. It addressed the growing public health concerns surrounding dry eye. 
Dr Sullivan said: “TFOS DEWS II involved the efforts of 150 clinical and basic research experts from around the world, who utilised an evidence-based approach and a process of open communication, dialogue and transparency to increase our understanding of dry eye disease.” 

Dry eye disease remains one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners, occurring more frequently in women than in men. 
The report concluded that Dry Eye Disease should be reclassified as follows: 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
“…a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles.”
TFOS DEWS II Report, now available on tearfilm.org, updates the classification and diagnosis of dry eye, critically evaluates the epidemiology, etiology, mechanism, and impact of this disorder, addresses its management and therapy, and proposes recommendations for the design of clinical trials to assess new pharmaceutical interventions for dry eye treatment.