AAOpt 2024: What optometrists think of the NutriTears supplement so far

Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, FOWNS, discussed a recent study on a supplement containing vitamin D, curcumin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which showed significant improvements in dry eye symptoms within 14 to 28 days. Key secondary outcomes, such as MMP-9 scores and corneal staining, also improved by day 28 to 56. The supplement has been well-received by optometrists and high-level practitioners, and it offers an alternative to traditional eye drops, especially for contact lens users. Gioia emphasized its potential to expand beyond optometrists to include nutritionists and other healthcare providers in addressing ocular discomfort.

Video transcript:

Editor's note: The below transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, FOWNS:

Hi, I'm Dr Neda Gioia. I'm a doctor of optometry, also a certified nutrition specialist. I have my own practice, Integrative Vision in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and I'm also the president of the Ocular Wellness and Nutrition Society.
So this poster reflects the importance of this new finding with NutriTears. It was used in a publication that we just had in Frontiers in Ophthalmology, and what it did was it showed that, using this supplement, which included vitamin D, curcumin, lutein and zeaxanthin, against a placebo, it showed that tear volume and patient reports via OSDI improved 14 to 28 days. So what's great about this study, it really showed a quick effect with a supplement, and I'm proud to present this this year at Academy. The biggest secondary outcomes were MMP9 scores, cornea and conjuctival staining, and these things were also shown to have clinical significance at day 28 up to 56. So the primary endpoints met what we not wanted, as well as some of the secondary endpoints.

So after a few months of launching this product off the shelves, a lot of optometrists have already found that their patients are very open to one, using it, because it's a new supplement that they can really kind of complement to whatever therapies they already are using, as well as starting it earlier in the dry eye diagnosis. So I think it's been great, the feedback, so far. We have some really high level doctors using this in their clinics already, and so far so good. I'm excited to see more data from those new optometrists using it.
I think what we also need to understand is sometimes our other doctors–or even non doctors, because this can be also addressed with nutritionists as well, right? So if a patient has some ocular discomfort, they can recommend an over the counter supplement as well. So I don't think it is isolated to optometrists, but I do think we add the validity for our patients, but I do think it can go into a broader spectrum of practitioners. Absolutely.

Some of the other key takeaways to this supplement, I think we have to start thinking about patients that may want other alternatives outside of drops, especially if they're contact lens users. You know, when you start really thinking about how we can use this supplement in various ways, I really think it will bring value that, you get a nice add on to your toolbox, because we really need that in dry eye approach.