priors.science/reviews/dry-eye-disease-treatment

Dry Eye Disease Treatment

The current evidence on 17 claims, ordered from most established to most contested. Each score is the panel’s evidence certainty: how firmly the literature supports the claim as stated.

18claims tracked
17assessed
192primary papers reviewed
23 Oct 2026latest evidence review
4 Established · 10 Likely · 3 Uncertain · 0 Doubtful  |  four-reviewer panel · PICO Framework
ClaimStandingEvidence certaintyCorpus
Cyclosporine reduces corneal stainingCyclosporineEstablished87%14
Perfluorohexyloctane improves evaporative dry eye signsPerfluorohexyloctaneEstablished87%14
Perfluorohexyloctane superior to saline in meibomian gland dysfunctionPerfluorohexyloctaneEstablished87%6
Thermal pulsation improves meibomian gland dysfunction symptomsMGD Thermal TreatmentEstablished85%14
Lifitegrast improves symptom scoresLifitegrastLong-standingLikely84%9
Intense pulsed light improves meibomian gland functionIntense Pulsed LightLikely83%23
Intense pulsed light reduces dry eye symptoms in meibomian gland dysfunctionIntense Pulsed LightLikely80%21
Diquafosol improves tear film break-up time in dry eyeSecretagoguesLikely80%19
Punctal occlusion improves aqueous-deficient dry eye diseasePunctal OcclusionLikely76%12
Punctal plugs increase Schirmer test scoresPunctal OcclusionLikely76%14
Autologous serum improves severe refractory dry eyeAutologous SerumLikely75%14
Autologous serum in Sjogren syndrome dry eyeAutologous SerumLikely72%10
Lifitegrast reduces inferior corneal stainingLifitegrastLong-standingLikely72%11
Cyclosporine increases Schirmer test scoresCyclosporineLikely70%21
Rebamipide improves goblet cell densitySecretagoguesLong-standingUncertain58%13
Omega-3 does not improve dry eye disease signsOmega 3 SupplementationLong-standingUncertain55%13
Omega-3 does not improve dry eye disease symptomsOmega 3 SupplementationUncertain50%14
Track Dry Eye Disease Treatment.
These claims are re-checked against new research as it is published. Track this topic for the full review, including each claim’s challenge and the papers behind it.
Track this topic →
Standing: what the evidence certainty means
Established≥ 85%Strong, consistent evidence. Unlikely to change.
Likely70–84%Well supported, with some gaps or indirect evidence.
Uncertain50–69%Mixed or limited evidence. Genuinely open.
Doubtful30–49%Little support; the weight of evidence leans against it.
Refuted< 30%The evidence contradicts it. Confidently false as stated.
A standing changes only when the score moves past a boundary by more than 4 points, the re-scoring noise floor; a score within 4 points of a boundary keeps its previous standing.
Where the evidence sits in time
Long-standingMost of this evidence is older than the rest of this field.