Genes and other risk factors related to dry eye

Dry eye is a common eye condition. It happens when our eyes don’t produce enough tears and when tears evaporate too quickly. Not having enough tears means that there is not enough lubrication for our eyes, which causes discomfort. The goal of this project is to 1) discover the genes associated with the risk of getting dry eye, and 2) determine the role of other risk factors, such as other eye conditions and autoimmune disorders. Scientists will follow the clinical care of thousands of KP Research Bank participants and link this information to their genetic data. The researchers expect that results from this study will create a better understanding of the reasons why some people are more likely to develop dry eye. Findings from this study will provide the information needed to begin developing screening tests to identify people at increased risk for dry eye, which may lead to better preventive interventions and possibly new  treatments.