Takeaway
- Sleep apnoea was associated with an increased risk of both glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Why this matters
- Findings suggest that patients with sleep apnoea may benefit from additional ophthalmologic examinations.
Study design
- Analysis of data from 502,505 participants (age, 40-69 years; median follow-up, 8 years) in the UK Biobank and 24,073 participants (age, 45-85 years; median follow-up, 3 years) in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).
- Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
Key results
- In the UK Biobank, incidence rates per 1000 person-years were:
- glaucoma: 2.46 and 1.59 for participants with and without sleep apnoea, respectively; and
- AMD: 2.27 and 1.42 for participants with and without sleep apnoea, respectively.
- Patients with sleep apnoea vs those without were at an increased risk of (adjusted HR; 95% CI):
- glaucoma (1.33; 1.10-1.60; P=.003); and
- AMD (1.39; 1.15-1.68; P<.001).
- In the CLSA, incidence rates per 1000 person-years were:
- glaucoma: 9.31 and 6.97 for those with and without sleep apnoea, respectively; and
- AMD: 8.44 and 6.67 for those with and without sleep apnoea, respectively.
- Patients with sleep apnoea vs those without had an increased risk of (adjusted OR; 95% CI):
- glaucoma (1.43; 1.13-1.79; P=.003); and
- AMD (1.39; 1.08-1.77; P=.008).
Limitations
- Lack of data on treatment for sleep apnoea, including continuous positive airway pressure.
This clinical summary originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.