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Background: Dry eye disease (DED) is the most common ocular surface disease, which severely affects the quality of life. An overall estimate of the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of DED in Asia would help in planning and implementing appropriate public health strategies. Objectives: The present study aimed to study the epidemiology of DED in Asia. Methods: A comprehensive and systematic search was performed using several databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, in January 2021. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on logit-transformed prevalence and incidence rates to calculate pooled prevalence and incidence estimates. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed to explain the heterogeneity. Results: Among the 6,742 articles identified, 23 were included in the analysis, with a total sample size of 1,488,935 subjects. Twenty studies reported the prevalence of DED in Asia, two studies reported the incidence, and one study reported both prevalence and incidence. The estimated pooled prevalence of DED in any population in Asia was 20.1% (95% confidence interval [Ozdemir et al., Acta Ophthalmol. 2019;97(1):e91–6]: 13.9–28.3%), and the incidence 16.7% (95% CI: 0–34.9%). The prevalence rate of DED in males and females was 16.4% (95% CI: 10.0–25.8%) and 21.7% (95% CI: 14.7–30.8%; p < 0.001), respectively. In general, the prevalence increased with age. The risk factors considered for specific populations were not significant, and the prevalence in the general population, excluding the populations considered at risk, was similar at 20.9% (95% CI: 12.8–32.1%). Conclusions: DED is common in Asian populations and causes a significant disease burden. Its prevalence is higher in females than that in males, and it tends to increase in severity with age. Further research on additional risk factors is needed to adequately explain the epidemiology of DED in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide estimates for the prevalence of dry eye disease globally and in sub‐groups defined by: diagnostic criterion, sex, geographic location and age, using a Bayesian approach. Methods: Modelling prevalence as a Beta distribution, estimates were inferred from Bayesian posterior distributions obtained by combing an uninformed prior with likelihood functions generated from all relevant studies reporting dry eye prevalence between 1997 and 2021. Results: Global prevalence of dry eye disease was estimated at 11.59% (standard deviation (SD) = 0.04). For symptomatic disease, the estimate was 9.12% (SD = 0.04), with women 9.5% (SD = 0.05) and men 6.8% (SD = 0.06); prevalence was lowest in North America, 4.6% (SD = 0.03) and highest in Africa, 47.9% (SD = 1.8). For signs, prevalence was 35.2% (SD = 0.3), with woman 34.7% (SD = 0.7) and men 37.6% (SD = 0.7); North America showed the lowest regional prevalence, 3.5%, (SD = 0.4) with Eastern Asia the highest, 42.8% (SD = 0.4). Using TFOS DEWS II diagnostic criteria resulted in a global prevalence of 29.5% (SD = 0.8), with women 28.1% (SD = 1.2) and men 24.9% (SD = 1.4). Prevalence was lowest during the fifth decade, increasing approximately linearly with age thereafter. Estimates for other categories are given in accompanying tables. Conclusion: A simple, flexible, yet powerful means of combining data from multiple sources to yield prevalence estimates across a range of circumstances is described, that is compatible with published guidelines for conducting meta‐analysis. Estimates can be readily updated as new information emerges, or according to need. Understanding the specific characteristics of studies chosen for inclusion is critical to the validity of the outcome. Although dry eye disease is evidently common, affecting about one in 11 people world‐wide, data are sparse for the young and all geographical locations except Eastern Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]