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Two emerging treatments for dry eye disease (DED) associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) are intense pulsed light therapy (IPL)—thought to lead to the breakdown of aberrant or telangiectatic blood vessels and decrease inflammation—and low-level light therapy (LLLT)—a more recent development intended to aid tissue repair and neural recovery. When performed alone, the latter procedure has been shown to alleviate clinical signs and symptoms better than IPL, prompting the authors of a new study to investigate whether LLLT is more effective for MGD-related DED on its own or in combination with IPL. Their findings revealed that while both approaches improved symptom frequency and severity, combined therapy held an advantage in boosting cellular energy levels.
The results revealed significant improvements in symptomatology across both treatment modalities.
Furthermore, meibum expressibility saw improvements in both groups after treatment. The study did not report any adverse effects throughout its duration, a testament to the safety and tolerability of both treatment modalities.
The researchers note that “LLLT alone could be considered in clinical settings as an adjunctive therapy for MGD if IPL is contraindicated for improving meibum expressibility and symptom frequency.”
