Abstract:Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of diquafosol sodium combined with intense pulsed light therapy in patients with diabetes-related dry eye disease.Methods A total of 86 patients with diabetes-related dry eye admitted to Handan First Hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected. They were divided into two groups by the random number table method, with 43 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with diquafosol sodium eye drops, while the observation group was additionally treated with intense pulsed light. The treatment effective rate was compared between the two groups. The levels of inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-17 (IL-17) ] in tears were detected before and after treatment. The Schirmer I test (SIT) was performed before and after treatment, and the tear film break-up time (BUT) and tear meniscus height were measured. The meibomian gland secretion score, meibomian gland dropout score, tear film lipid layer thickness, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) score, and corneal Fluorescein Staining (FLS) score were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results The overall treatment effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 were all decreased in both groups (P < 0.05), and the differences of them before and after treatment were higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, both groups showed increases in SIT, BUT, and tear meniscus height (P < 0.05), and the changes in these parameters from pre- to post-treatment were greater in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Both groups exhibited decreased meibomian gland secretion and dropout scores (P < 0.05) and increased tear film lipid layer thickness after treatment (P < 0.05), while the pre- to post-treatment differences in these meibomian gland parameters were greater in the observation group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, OSDI, SPEED, and corneal FLS scores decreased in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), with the observation group showing greater improvements than the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusion The combination of diquafosol sodium and intense pulsed light is effective in improving the therapeutic outcomes and ocular symptoms of patients with diabetes-related dry eye disease.