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Obsructive sleep apnea syndrome: is it a risk factor for ocular surface disease and ocular comorbidities?

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the accompanying ocular findings in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and evaluate the susceptibility to ophthalmological diseases.

Materials and methods

In this cross-sectional study, qualifying study subjects were patients who had been diagnosed with severe OSAS (apnea/hypopnea index (AHI > 30/h), n = 31), and control subjects (n = 30) who had an AHI index of < 5 (as normal). General ophthalmological examination, eyelid laxity measurements, corneal topography, visual field, retinal nerve fiber layer parameters, dry eye tests were performed on the patients.

Results

It was observed that the two groups had similar characteristics in terms of gender, age, presence of hypertension, diabetes, and body mass index. According to eyelid laxity measurements, the incidence of loose eyelids was higher in the OSAS patient group. Choroidal thickness was thinner in the study group than in the control group. Schirmer test and tear break-up time were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. The percentage of meibomian gland loss in meibography and the ocular surface disease index score for symptoms was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group.

Conclusion

In this study, we found significant changes in ocular surface parameters, eyelid laxity, choroidal thickness, and visual field indices in OSAS patients. Dry eye syndrome might be related eyelid laxity and inflammation in OSAS patients. Early diagnosis and follow-up of ocular diseases in OSAS, which affect the quality of life and visual prognosis in advanced ages, are important.

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Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Department, Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, Mersin, Turkey

    Ezgi Mavigok

  2. Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, 01330, Saricam, Adana, Turkey

    Altan Atakan Ozcan & Burak Ulas

Authors
  1. Ezgi Mavigok
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  2. Altan Atakan Ozcan
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  3. Burak Ulas
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Contributions

All authors conceived and designed the study. EM, AAÖ, BU acquired the data. EM and AAÖ analyzed and interpreted the data. EM and BU wrote the manuscript. AAÖ and BU revised the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Burak Ulas.

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Mavigok, E., Ozcan, A.A. & Ulas, B. Obsructive sleep apnea syndrome: is it a risk factor for ocular surface disease and ocular comorbidities?. Int Ophthalmol 43, 2329–2334 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02629-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02629-3

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