Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) versus controls utilizing the STOP-BANG questionnaire.
Methods :
A non- interventional prospective study. Patients with OAG and controls, completed the STOP-BANG questionnaire; a validated tool to identify patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Patients were considered at risk if they scored 3 (sensitivity 83.6-100%, specificity 37-56.4%) or high risk if they scored 5 or more (sensitivity 60%, specificity 80%) out of the maximum 8 points.. Data recorded included demographic information (gender, age, BMI), past medical history (diabetes, hypertension), OSA symptoms (snoring, fatigue, history of apneic episodes during sleep) and previous diagnosis of OSA. Details regarding the patient’s glaucoma were obtained from their medical records, including: VFI, VF progression, clinical progression, and IOP control.
Results :
437 OAG patients and 323 controls completed the questionnaire. There was no significant difference in demographics or history of diabetes or hypertension between the groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in the frequency of subjects considered at risk for OSA (62.7% OAG vs 59.8% controls, p=0.45) or high risk for OSA (12.6% OAG vs 13.3% controls, p=0.82). Significantly more patients in the control group had a previous diagnosis of OSA, 11.5% controls vs 5.4% OAG, p=0.004. Significantly more OAG patients complained of feeling tired, 48.2% OAG vs 37.8% controls, p=0.004. In the OAG group there was no relationship between glaucoma severity, progression, IOP control or the type of glaucoma and the risk of OSA.
Conclusions :
The evidence for OSA being a risk factor for glaucoma is controversial. This is the largest comparative study of patients with OAG vs controls to evaluate the prevalence for OSA, and the first to evaluate the risk of OSA with respect to glaucoma severity/progression. Contrary to others reports, our results do not support a strong relationship between a risk of OSA and open angle glaucoma.We found no difference in the prevalence of OSA between OAG and controls using the STOP-BANG questionnaire.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.