AIM: To investigate the correlation between meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD)and serum lipid in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).

METHODS: A case-control study was performed which recruited 184 patients with T2DM admitted to hospital from July 2020 to October 2021. After completing the ocular surface examination, subjects were divided into MGD group(94 cases)and control group(90 cases)according to whether MGD was combined. The body mass index(BMI), fasting blood glucose(FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were examined for the condition of meibomian glands and collected between the two groups of patients. The relationship between MGD and blood lipid levels was compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of MGD.

RESULTS: The HbA1c, TC, TG, LDL-C in MGD group were 8.30%±1.95%, 5.72±1.21, 2.16±1.05, 3.42±1.10mmol/L, all significantly higher than control group(7.26%±1.18%, 4.82±1.19, 1.48±0.71, 2.75±1.00mmol/L, all P<0.001), there were no statistically significant in HDL-C between the two groups(P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors for the onset of MGD was significantly associated with higher blood levels of TC(OR: 5.846; 95%CI: 1.867-18.306; P<0.001)and the higher blood levels of TG(OR: 5.822; 95%CI: 2.654-12.774; P=0.002).

CONCLUSION: T2DM patients with MGD are related to a number of dyslipidemias, and the TC hyperlipidemia and TG hyperlipidemia are significantly associated with an increase risk of MGD in patients with T2DM.