A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea
Abstract This study investigated the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and the use of major DED medications in South Korea using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database, a nationwide registry with mandatory enrollment. A total of 6,383,885 individuals from 2016 to 2020 were i...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07228-7 |
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| author | Joon Bo Lee Jiu Lee Yeo Kyoung Won Dong Hui Lim |
| author_facet | Joon Bo Lee Jiu Lee Yeo Kyoung Won Dong Hui Lim |
| author_sort | Joon Bo Lee |
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| description | Abstract This study investigated the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and the use of major DED medications in South Korea using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database, a nationwide registry with mandatory enrollment. A total of 6,383,885 individuals from 2016 to 2020 were included, selected annually through stratified random sampling. Patients with DED were identified by the ICD-10 code H04.1 assigned as the primary diagnosis by a clinician. Among the total population, 567,141 were diagnosed with DED, yielding a 5-year prevalence of 8.88%. Prevalence was higher in females (11.52%) than in males (5.92%) and increased with age, reaching 21.96% in individuals aged 70–74. Among DED patients, 86.91% received at least one medication. Single-use hyaluronic acid (HA) was most commonly prescribed (43.0%), followed by bottled steroids (24.5%), bottled HA (19.6%), and bottled diquafosol (4.3%). Annual prescriptions of cyclosporine and single-use steroids increased over time. Older patients were more likely to receive bottled formulations than single-use medication. This is the first nationwide study to examine DED prescription patterns on a large-scale population basis in South Korea, and the findings highlight the accessibility of HA-based therapies within a universal health coverage system, offering a distinct perspective compared to global patterns. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-affa2b3511e248c58ecc6c5076344285 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| spelling | doaj-art-affa2b3511e248c58ecc6c50763442852025-08-20T03:42:38ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-011511810.1038/s41598-025-07228-7A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South KoreaJoon Bo Lee0Jiu Lee1Yeo Kyoung Won2Dong Hui Lim3Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of MedicineDepartment of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of MedicineDepartment of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan UniversityAbstract This study investigated the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and the use of major DED medications in South Korea using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database, a nationwide registry with mandatory enrollment. A total of 6,383,885 individuals from 2016 to 2020 were included, selected annually through stratified random sampling. Patients with DED were identified by the ICD-10 code H04.1 assigned as the primary diagnosis by a clinician. Among the total population, 567,141 were diagnosed with DED, yielding a 5-year prevalence of 8.88%. Prevalence was higher in females (11.52%) than in males (5.92%) and increased with age, reaching 21.96% in individuals aged 70–74. Among DED patients, 86.91% received at least one medication. Single-use hyaluronic acid (HA) was most commonly prescribed (43.0%), followed by bottled steroids (24.5%), bottled HA (19.6%), and bottled diquafosol (4.3%). Annual prescriptions of cyclosporine and single-use steroids increased over time. Older patients were more likely to receive bottled formulations than single-use medication. This is the first nationwide study to examine DED prescription patterns on a large-scale population basis in South Korea, and the findings highlight the accessibility of HA-based therapies within a universal health coverage system, offering a distinct perspective compared to global patterns.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07228-7Dry eye diseaseEpidemiologyPrevalencePrescription patternTreatment patternHyaluronic acid |
| spellingShingle | Joon Bo Lee Jiu Lee Yeo Kyoung Won Dong Hui Lim A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea Scientific Reports Dry eye disease Epidemiology Prevalence Prescription pattern Treatment pattern Hyaluronic acid |
| title | A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea |
| title_full | A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea |
| title_fullStr | A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea |
| title_full_unstemmed | A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea |
| title_short | A nationwide population-based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in South Korea |
| title_sort | nationwide population based study on epidemiologic characteristics and treatment patterns of dry eye disease in south korea |
| topic | Dry eye disease Epidemiology Prevalence Prescription pattern Treatment pattern Hyaluronic acid |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07228-7 |
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