Patients on treatment for sleep apnea at increased risk of AMD with reticular pseudodrusen

Researchers have found in a new study that Patients on treatment for sleep apnea at increased risk of AMD with reticular pseudodrusen. 

However Formal sleep studies are needed to further investigate the relationship between nocturnal hypoxia and AMD, and particularly its association with the reticular pseudodrusen subphenotype.

The findings of this study were published in BMJ Ophthalmology.

Age-related macular degeneration is a complicated hereditary illness that affects 9% of persons over 50. Its incidence is rising, and by 2040, it is anticipated to impact 288 million people globally. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most prevalent of the sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) group of disorders, which are frequently the cause of nocturnal hypoxia. Only a few researches have looked at the connection between AMD and SDB, hence there is no established agreement on this matter. Determining the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and age-related macular degeneration as well as the sub phenotype of AMD with reticular pseudodrusen was the purpose of this study.

Using the validated sleep questionnaires for the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and STOP-BANG Questionnaire (SBQ), a case-control research included 351 patients (211 AMD and 140 controls). A binary risk scale based on the ESS and SBQ combined, as well as an ordinal risk scale based on the SBQ, were used to calculate participant risk of having moderate-to-severe OSA. It was also determined if OSA had previously been diagnosed and whether any therapy involved aided breathing. AMD and RPD assessment were made possible by retinal imaging.