Whether because of a poor diet, hypothyroidism, or other reasons, a sluggish metabolism has a direct impact on meibum production. When the metabolism is sluggish, the process of producing meibum — the dying off of cells and their transformation into meibum — is also slowed, leading to evaporative dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
Reference
The International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: report of the Subcommittee on Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology of the meibomian gland
Knop E, Knop N, Millar T, Obata H, Sullivan DA.
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
2011 Mar 30;52(4):1938-78. doi: 10.1167/iovs.10-6997c. Print 2011 Mar.
PMID:21450915
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