For the more than 8 million people in the United States suffering from dry eye syndrome, emerging research from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Schepens Eye Research Institute suggests that changing dietary habits may help play a key role in prevention.

The researchers found increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and supplements, may help protect against the painful and debilitating disorder.

"Dry eye syndrome impacts quality of life, productivity and safety for millions of people. Unfortunately, there is little advice clinicians can offer about its prevention," said lead author Biljana Miljanovic, M.D., of the Divisions of Preventive Medicine and Aging at Brigham. "Our study set out to examine how changing dietary habits in America, primarily a shift in the balance of essential fatty acids we are consuming, may be associated with onset of this eye disease. We found that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids, often referred to as a ‘good' fat, commonly found in fish and walnuts, is associated with a protective effect. Conversely, a higher ratio of omega-6, a fat found in many cooking and salad oils and animal meats, compared to omega- 3 in the diet, may increase the risk of dry eye syndrome."

The team's findings appeared in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.