Study: Dry eye risks for diabetics after cataract surgery

Looks like a straightforward study indicating diabetics are at distinctly higher risk for dry eye after cat surgery than people without diabetes.

Changes of tear film and tear secretion after phacoemulsification in diabetic patients.
Liu X, Gu YS, Xu YS.
J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2008 Apr;9(4):324-8

Objective: To evaluate tear film stability and tear secretion in patients with diabetes after phacoemulsification. Methods: Twenty-five diabetic cataract patients and 20 age-matched non-diabetic cataract patients as control underwent phacoemulsification. Tear film break-up time (TFBUT), Schirmer I test (SIT), corneal fluorescein staining, and dry eye symptoms were measured pre- and postoperatively. Results: Diabetics had a decreased preoperative TFBUT and SIT. TFBUT was reduced on Day 1 and recovered on Day 180 postoperatively in both groups. SIT was increased after phacoemulsification, but returned to preoperative levels by Day 180 in non-diabetics, whereas it was lower than preoperative level in diabetics. Positive corneal fluorescein staining was elevated in both groups, and returned to preoperative levels only in controls. Dry eye symptoms were similar to fluorescein staining in both groups. Conclusion: Tear secretion was reduced in diabetic cataract patients after phacoemulsification, which worsened dry eye symptoms and predisposed those patients to ocular damage.