Public defence: Reza A. Badian

Reza A. Badian will defend his PhD degree in Person, Health and Society. This doctoral thesis constitutes: investigation of the prevalence and clinical aspects of dry eye disease in Norway, focusing on the significance of risk factors including meibomian gland dysfunction, age, and sex across clinic-based cohorts and a same-age general population sample.

27 Nov

Practical information

  • Date: 27 November 2026
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.00
  • Location: Kongsberg, Auditorium Hegstad
  • Download calendar file


    • Link to digital participation will come here
     

    Programme

    10.00: Trial lecture: TBA

    12.00: Disputation: Dry Eye Disease in Norway: The Role of Age, Sex, and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in the Norwegian Setting Based on Evidence Across Healthy and Clinical Cohorts

    Assessment committee

    • First opponent: Professor Daniela Sonja Nosch, FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
    • Second opponent: Beáta Éva Petrovski, PhD, C-optikk Eidsvoll
    • Administrator: Associate Professor Vivi Lycke Christensen, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Chair of the defence: Professor Hanne Mari Schiøtz Thorud, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Supervisors

    • Principal supervisor: Professor Vibeke Sundling, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Co-supervisor: Professor Tor P. Utheim, OsloMet
Any questions?

Portrett av en smilende mann i en hvit frakk og grønt slips på en ensfarget bakgrunnReza A. Badian is defending his thesis for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

He has pursued the PhD program in Person, Health and Society at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Optometry, Radiography and Lighting Design.

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

  • Link to the thesis will come here

Summary

Dry Eye Disease in Norway: High Prevalence of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Varying Effects of Age and Sex Across Clinic-Based and General Populations

This doctoral thesis shows that meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a major cause of dry eye disease (DED) is highly prevalent in both clinical and general populations, even among people who do not report symptoms. While, females and older adults attending specialist eye care exhibit more pronounced signs of ocular disease, no difference between females and males were found among 65-year-olds in the general population. These findings suggest that study setting and care-seeking behaviour may influence how demographic risk factors for DED are identified and reported.

Dry eye disease is a common condition that can cause ocular discomfort, visual disturbances, and reduced quality of life. In his doctoral thesis, ophthalmologist Reza A. Badian examined how age, sex, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) are associated with dry eye disease across three Norwegian observational studies. Two studies were based on patients attending the Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, while the third investigated a randomly selected sample of 65-year-olds from the general population in Oslo. 

In the clinic-based studies, women and older patients showed more pronounced clinical signs of dry eye disease and MGD. Among patients attending the Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, MGD was highly prevalent, also among those reporting few or no symptoms. This highlights that symptom questionnaires alone may fail to identify underlying gland dysfunction.

When these findings were compared with a population-based sample of Norwegian 65-year-olds, the female predominance observed in specialist care was not found. While both dry eye disease and MGD were common in the general population, many participants with objective signs of disease reported few or no symptoms. The findings suggest that care-seeking behaviour and study setting may influence observed sex differences and reinforce the importance of combining symptom assessment with clinical examination.

Clinical Implications
The findings challenge the common assumption that the absence of symptoms indicates a healthy ocular surface. Because many individuals with MGD report few or no symptoms, Badian argues that routine clinical evaluation should be a standard part of eye examinations. Earlier identification of gland dysfunction may improve detection and management of dry eye disease, particularly in older adults where prevalence is highest.