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In the news: Pediatric Dry Eye & Smartphone Use; Omega-3s Reduce Inflammatory Markers in Obese

Smartphones Linked to Pediatric Dry Eye

While it’s known that more children are getting cell phones at a younger age, the results of a recent study (1) by the American Academy of Pediatrics are still startling. In this study, researchers found that 75% of 4 year-olds in an urban, low-income community had their own smartphone.

Smartphone users often stare at their devices for long periods of time, blink less frequently, and read at a closer focusing distance. Therefore, many speculate that more frequent use of smartphones and other devices can cause dry eye in children. The findings from a new study (2) of school-aged Koreans offer some evidence that may confirm such speculation. The researchers found that the rate of pediatric dry eye disease strongly correlates with daily hours of smartphone as well as computer use.

Over 900 children (1st - 6th grade) were enrolled in the case-control study, which evaluated whether smartphone or computer use is related to dry eye incidence. Dry eye was defined based on the International Dry Eye Workshop guidelines (ocular exam, OSDI score). The participants and their families completed a detailed questionnaire to determine device use and outdoor activity.

The incidence of dry eye overall was 6.3%, with a lower incidence seen in participants living in rural (2.8%) compared to urban (8.3%) areas (p=0.03). A Similarly, city dwellers used smartphones more than their rural counterparts (p=0.04). Older kids used smartphones more than younger ones, and they also had a greater chance of having dry eye (p<0.001 and p=0.03, respectively).

Compared to controls, those with dry eye disease used smartphones longer each day (p<0.001, OR=13.07) and spent less time doing outdoor activities (p<0.01, OR=0.33). Importantly, those in the dry eye group improved both in subjective and objective symptoms after stopping smartphone use for 4 weeks. Together, these findings support the notion that curtailing smart-phone use and encouraging more outdoor activities may help prevent dry eye in children.

Beyond ocular health, some concerns exist for cell phone use in general. Cell phones emit radio-frequency energy (a form of non-ionizing radiation) from their antennas, which can be absorbed by tissues nearest to the antenna. The three largest epidemiologic studies to date do not support an association between cell phone use and risk for certain cancers; nor do the available data support such an association in children. However, children have the potential of accumulating more years of cell phone exposure than adults, and studies are underway to further explore this issue.

Omega-3s May Dampen Inflammation in Obese Women

According to researchers from the UK and Poland (3), supplemental EPA + DHA may reduce the chronic low-grade inflammation associated with obesity. The team concluded that the omega-3s help combat chronic inflammation via increasing DHA-derived pro-resolving mediators and decreasing pro-inflammatory proteins.Â

Fifty-nine obese women were placed on a calorie-controlled diet and randomly assigned to receive 1.8 EPA + DHA or placebo daily for a three-month period. Plasma levels of lipoxins, resolvins, protectin X, and inflammatory markers were measured. Microarray was used to assay whole blood transcriptome, the full range of messenger RNA, expressed by genes.

Both groups had significant reductions in body mass, fat mass, and BMI. Only the omega-3 group, however, had significantly decreased concentrations of several inflammatory markers including hsCRP, fasting triglycerides and insulin, and increased levels of pro-resolving DHA derivatives in plasma. The microarray data showed effects of the omega-3s on various target genes, including up-regulation of the resolvin receptor.

References

1. Kabali HK, et al. Exposure and use of mobile media devices by young children. Pediatrics.136:1044-50, 2015.
2. Moon JH, et al. Smartphone use is a risk factor for pediatric dry eye disease according to region and age: a case control study. BMC Ophthalmology. 16:188, 2016.
3. Polus A, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation influences the whole blood transcriptome in women with obesity, associated with pro-resolving lipid mediator production. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1861:1746-55, 2016.