Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome linked to NTG

Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is strongly linked to normal tension glaucoma (NTG), claims a study in the Journal of Glaucoma.

Dr Pei-Wen Lin et al., Department of Ophthalmology, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Taiwan, conducted a polysomnographic exam on 256 participants to diagnose OSAHS. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed on all participants. This included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, slit lamp biomicroscopy, gonioscopy, fundoscopy, automated visual field (VF) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) evaluation.

OSAHS was found in 209 patients out of the total examined and 38 were placed into the normal group. In the OSAHS group NTG was discovered in 12 patients. The prevalence was 5.7% - significantly higher than the normal group. Out of the NTG patients examined, one was found to have mild OSAHS, three were moderate and eight were severe.

Prevalence of NTG in moderate and severe OSAHS patients was 7.1%. This was significantly higher than normal and mild OSAHS patients. There were no incidences of glaucoma in the normal group.