The Effect of Optive and Optive Advanced Artificial Tears on the Healthy Tear Film

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of Optive (Allergan, Irvine, CA) and Optive Advanced (Allergan, Irvine, CA) on tear film stability and quality during a one-hour observation period when compared to saline (Pfizer, Perth, WA).Methods: This was a double-masked, cross-over study. Twenty participants attended three visits, randomly receiving either Optive, Optive Advanced or saline. Oculus Keratograph 5M (Oculus, Arlington, WA, USA), non-invasive keratograph break-up time (NIKBUT), Lipiview (TearScience Inc, Morrisville, NC, USA), lipid layer thickness (LLT) and comfort were measured prior to and 5, 15 and 60min after drop instillation.Results: Optive Advanced demonstrated a significant increase in LLT between baseline (57.512.3nm) and both 5min (67.5 +/- 18.8nm, p=0.04) and 15min (68.9 +/- 17.3nm, p=0.04) but not 60min (61.6 +/- 14.3nm, p=0.47). Optive and saline were not different between timepoints for LLT (p>0.05). There was no difference between timepoints for any of the drops for NIKBUT (p=0.75). Comfort was significantly better at 5min compared to baseline for Optive (8.3 +/- 1.2 and 7.3 +/- 1.4, respectively, p=0.03) but not different for Optive Advance or saline (p>0.05).Conclusions: Optive Advanced increased LLT for 15min following instillation, returning to baseline within one hour. This did not however, translate into an improvement in tear film stability over this time period. Only Optive demonstrated an improvement in comfort.