Tear breakup time in normal Saudi population: age and gender

Abstract

Tear breakup time (TBUT) is the most commonly used test for tear stability. The tear stability measurement is particularly important in the diagnosis of dry eye and in determining when contact lens wear is not to be recommended. TBUT values for normal Saudi population with consideration of gender and age have not been reported. TBUT measurements were done on 220 normal subjects, 140 males and 80 females, aged 5 to 75 years. Eighty-seven percent of the subjects had TBUT values >10 seconds. Results showed the mean TBUT was 18.0 ± 7.0 seconds. The value was higher than those reported for Asian countries but lower than those of Western countries. There was no significant difference between males and females, but TBUT values decreased with increasing age.