OBJECTIVETo objectively evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of Runmushu Oral Liquid (RMS) for the treatment of xerophthalmia in postmenopausal women.

METHODSSeventy-two postmenopausal women (144 eyes) with xerophthalmia of aqueous tear deficiency type were assigned to two groups. Patients in the treated group were treated with RMS (consisted of prepared and crude rehmannia root, figwort, lilyturf root, dendrobium stem, wolfberry fruit, chrysanthemum and sticktight) orally combining with local applying of Hialid eye drops; while those in the control group were treated with Hialid eye drops alone. Changes of subjective symptoms and objective indices in the two groups were observed and compared before and after 1-month treatment.

RESULTSAfter 1 month of treatment, the total effective rate was 86.1% (62/72) in the treated group and 66.7% (48/72) in the control group, showing significant difference between them (P < 0.01). Significant differences between groups were also shown in improvements of total scores of subjective symptoms (P < 0.01), scores of tear film break-up time (BUT) and Schirmer I test, these indices in the treated group were better (P < 0.01). However, the improvement of cornea fluorescin staining scores was insignificant different between groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRMS with artificial-tears can alleviate the eye symptoms, prolong the BUT, promote the secretion of tears in treating postmenopausal women xerophthalmia, showing a therapeutic effect superior to that by artificial-tears alone.