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Br J Ophthalmol 2007;91:1524-1527 doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.113803
  • Extended report
    • Clinical science - Extended reports

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy and presumed sleep apnoea syndrome screened by the Sleep Apnea scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SA-SDQ)

  1. Jian Li1,
  2. Gerald McGwin, Jr1,2,
  3. Michael S Vaphiades2,
  4. Cynthia Owsley2
  1. 1
    Department of Epidemiology and International Health, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
  2. 2
    Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
  1. Gerald McGwin, Jr, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 700 S. 18th Street, Suite 609, Birmingham, AL 35294-0009, USA; mcgwin{at}uab.edu
  • Accepted 1 May 2007
  • Published Online First 15 May 2007

Abstract

Background: Two recent studies reported over 70% of the patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) had sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) diagnosed by overnight polysomnography. The current study used the Sleep Apnea scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SA-SDQ) to evaluate this association.

Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted among 73 cases of NAION matched on age and gender to 73 controls without a history of NAION. Information regarding demographics, medical conditions, health behaviours and SAS was obtained via a telephone questionnaire that included the SA-SDQ. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between NAION and the SA-SDQ.

Results: Cases were significantly more likely to report symptoms and characteristics consistent with SAS than controls (OR 2.62; 95% CI 1.03 to 6.60) when adjusted for medical and health behaviour characteristics.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that patients with SAS are at increased risk of NAION. Additional research in a larger population is needed to confirm the observed results and validate the use of the SA-SDQ in patients with NAION.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

  • Funding: This research was supported by National Institute on Aging Grant R01-AG04212, National Eye Institute Grant R21-EY14071, Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama. CO is a Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator.

  • Abbreviations:
    COPD

    chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, NAION, non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy

    SAS

    sleep apnoea syndrome

    SA-SDQ

    Sleep Apnea scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire

Responses to this article

  • Authors' reply
    • Gerald McGwin Jr.,
    • Cynthia Owsley
    Br J Ophthalmol published online July 29, 2009
  • Sleep apnoea in the eye clinic
    • Anju Kadyan,
    • Soupramanien Sandramouli, Consultant Ophthalmologist
    Br J Ophthalmol published online July 29, 2009

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