Also known as: lubricating eye drops, ocular lubricant, tear substitute, artificial tear drops
Strongest in Consistency (95). Held back by Recency (0).
Solid mix of RCTs with some methodological gaps.
Few independent replications; results not yet robust.
Thousands of participants across the literature.
Studies agree on direction of effect.
Mostly pre-2020 research; updates may be needed.
No per-outcome numbers yet for this one. Each finding's direction and strength is shown in the research below.
Preservative-free artificial tears (and lipid-based gels at night) supplement the tear film and are the standard first-line relief for dry, gritty or burning eyes.
A Cochrane meta-analysis of 43 randomized trials (3497 participants) found that over-the-counter artificial tears may be a safe and effective first-line treatment for dry eye syndrome, with most formulations showing broadly similar efficacy (low-certainty evidence).
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that sodium hyaluronate-based artificial tears improved ocular surface staining and symptoms of dry eye syndrome and performed at least as well as non-hyaluronate artificial tears.
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