Effect of aerobic exercise alone or combined with Mediterranean diet on dry eye in obese hypertensive elderly

Abstract

Abstract Background Lifestyle modification is a newly recommended complementary treatment for dry eye (DE) disorder. Objective To investigate the effect of a 6-month high-intensity interval aerobic exercise (HIIAE) (conducted 30 min, 3 times weekly) alone or combined with a caloric-restriction approach, the Mediterranean diet (MD), on DE parameters in obese hypertensive elderly. The design, settings, participants, and intervention This is a randomized controlled trial included sixty obese hypertensive elderly with DE based on university-based hospital recruitment. Elderly were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 30 elderly received HIIAE plus MD) and control group (n = 30 elderly received only HIIAE). Besides anthropometry (abdominal circumference, body weight, and body mass index) and blood pressure (measured in systole and diastole), DE parameters (tear film break-up time, DE scoring system, ocular surface disability index questionnaire, Schirmer’s test, and Oxford grading system) were evaluated. Results Significant improvements in anthropometry, blood pressure, and DE parameters were higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusion Aging-related DE symptoms and signs can be prevented and/or treated with HIIAE alone or combined with MD in obese hypertensive elderly with DE disorder.