Prevalence and risk factors of eye diseases in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: results from the SLE.E.P.Y cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the occurrence of glaucoma, eyelid, corneal and macular disorders in a cohort of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) diagnosed by overnight polysomnography and to investigate into the risk factors for the above eye diseases (EDs).

Design: Cross-sectional cohort study between 2014 and 2015.

Setting: Unit of Respiratory Medicine and Eye Clinic of the University of Verona.

Participants: 431 consecutive patients were considered eligible. Of these, 87 declined to participate, 35 were untraceable and 13 were deceased.

Interventions: A complete ophthalmic evaluation of both eyes for each patient.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: Best-corrected distance visual acuity, intraocular pressure, corneal, macular and optic nerve optical coherence tomography, ocular aberrometry, optic nerve laser polarimetry, visual field test, and eyelid examination.

Results: 296 patients aged 64.5±12.8 years, 23% female and 77% male, underwent ophthalmic examination. There was 56% (n=166) prevalence of eyelid disorders, 27% (n=80) of corneal disorders, 13% (n=39) of macular disorders and 11% (n=33) of glaucoma. Advancing age was not associated with the severity of OSA, while significant differences were found for gender, body mass index, Oxygen Desaturation Index, smoking habit, hypertension and diabetes. Severe OSA was significantly associated with glaucoma (OR, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.93, p=0.037).

Conclusions: EDs were more prevalent in our patinets with OSA than in the general population. Severe Apnoea/Hypopnoea Index level seemed to play a role as risk factor only for glaucoma.

Keywords: asthma; corneal and external diseases; epidemiology; glaucoma; medical retina; neuro-ophthalmology.

Figure 1

Flow diagram of the progress of all participants through the study. AHI, Apnoea/Hypopnoea Index; OSA, obstructive sleep apnoea.