Oral Fish Oil Supplements for Dry Eyes?

Patients take oral supplements containing ω-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, found in fish oil, for various symptoms, one of which is dry eyes. A guideline from the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that ω-3fatty acids “may be beneficial” but acknowledges that supportive evidence is limited.

In this multicenter trial, 535 patients with objectively verified moderate-to-severe dry eyes were randomized to receive daily oral supplementation with 3000 mg of fish-derived ω-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) or placebo. Patients were permitted to continue other ongoing treatments (e.g., artificial tears). At 1 year, no differences were found between active-treatment and placebo groups in patient-reported symptom-severity score…