Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36510598›Full record

ArticleClinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)2022

Low-Level Light Therapy in Association with Intense Pulsed Light for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

João Heitor Marques, Ana Marta, Pedro Manuel Baptista, Daniel Almeida, Diana José, Paulo J M Sousa, Irene Barbosa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

João Heitor MarquesOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-6487-7950
Ana MartaOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-3495-4649
Pedro Manuel BaptistaOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-8285-1084
Daniel AlmeidaOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-6488-0949
Diana JoséOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-8415-0780
Paulo J M SousaOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7087-5158
Irene BarbosaOphthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-6053-5339

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To study the clinical benefit of low-level light therapy when associated with intense pulsed light for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. Methods: An observational study. Two groups of patients that were treated with IPL were considered: group 1 (31 subjects, 62 eyes), intense pulsed light followed by low-level light therapy and group 2 (31 subjects, 62 eyes) intense pulsed light alone. In both groups, treatments were performed in 3 sessions and subjects were evaluated at baseline and 3 weeks after the last treatment session. Values are shown as mean difference ± standard deviation. Results: We observed a significant improvement in OSDI-12 score and lipid layer thickness, in both groups (-22.7±17.5, p<0.001 in group 1 and -23.6±23.8, p<0.001 in group 2 for OSDI and +18.6 ± 37.0, p<0.001 in group 1 and +19.9 ± 26.4, p<0.001 in group 2 for lipid layer thickness). Despite no differences between groups at baseline (p=0.469), only group 1 had a significant improvement in Schirmer test (+1.6±4.8, p=0.009 in group 1 and +1.7±6.9, p=0.057 in group 2). No significant side effects were noted. No patient in any group felt subjectively "worse" after the treatment. Conclusion: Intense pulsed light seems effective and safe for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction, improving symptoms and the tear film lipid layer. This study shows no strong evidence of the benefit of low-level light therapy, but it shows weak evidence that it may further improve aqueous tear production.

Indexed as

dry eye syndromesintense pulsed light therapylow-level light therapymeibomian gland dysfunctionphototherapy

Identifiers

PMID36510598
PMCPMC9739950

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.