Diabetes and contact lens wear

Clare O'Donnell*, Nathan Efron

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalSpecial issuepeer-review

Abstract

The literature suggests that diabetic patients may have altered tear chemistry and tear secretion as well as structural and functional changes to the corneal epithelium, endothelium and nerves. These factors, together with a reported increased incidence of corneal infection, suggest that diabetic patients may be particularly susceptible to developing ocular complications during contact lens wear. Reports of contact lens-induced complications in diabetic patients do exist, although a number of these reports concern patients with advanced diabetic eye disease using lenses on an extended wear basis. Over the past decade or so, there have been published studies documenting the response of the diabetic eye to more modern contact lens modalities. The results of these studies suggest that contact lenses can be a viable mode of refractive correction for diabetic patients. Furthermore, new research suggests that the measurement of tear glucose concentration could, in future, be used to monitor metabolic control non-invasively in diabetic patients. This could be carried out using contact lenses manufactured from hydrogel polymers embedded with glucose-sensing agents or nanoscale digital electronic technology. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the anterior ocular manifestations of diabetes, particularly that pertaining to contact lens wear.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)328-337
Number of pages10
JournalClinical and Experimental Optometry
Volume95
Issue number3
Early online date26 Apr 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2012

Keywords

  • anterior eye
  • complications
  • contact lens wear
  • cornea
  • diabetes mellitus
  • glucose
  • tear film

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