Baseline characteristics of the intention-to-treat population
| Herbs | Acupuncture | Artificial tears | ||
| Number | 50 | 50 | 50 | |
| Female | % | 82 | 74 | 76 |
| Proportion | 41/50 | 37/50 | 38/50 | |
| Age | Mean±SD | 57.36±6.45 | 58.92±9.17 | 58.94±7.92 |
| SPEED* | Mean±SD | 11.44±4.28 | 12.14±4.69 | 11.16±4.94 |
| NIBUT (s) | Mean±SD | 8.02±6.13 | 7.58±5.44 | 9.36±6.34 |
| Schirmer I (mm) | Mean±SD | 13.1±10.8 | 10.9±7.8 | 11.7±8.6 |
| Corneal staining | ||||
| Central | Mean±SD | 0.12±0.39 | 0.13±0.56 | 0.09±0.31 |
| Inferior | Mean±SD | 0.9±0.9 | 1.05±1.03 | 0.87±0.86 |
| Superior | Mean±SD | 0.37±0.5 | 0.46±0.6 | 0.36±0.58 |
| Temporal | Mean±SD | 0.21±0.47 | 0.54±0.87 | 0.33±0.61 |
| Nasal | Mean±SD | 0.3±0.67 | 0.57±0.97 | 0.39±0.39 |
| Tear osmolarity (mOsm) | Mean±SD | 300±12.2 | 301±12.8 | 305±16 |
| Conjunctival redness | Mean±SD | 1.19±0.41 | 1.15±0.40 | 1.23±0.37 |
↵*Standard patient evaluation of eye dryness: greater number (0–28) indicates more severe/frequent dry eye symptoms.
NIBUT, non-invasive tear break-up time.