Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Sleep Apnea Linked to Glaucoma

Friday, August 09, 2013

Let's add another condition to the long list of chronic health problems that are linked to obstructive sleep apnea. New research has found the people with sleep apnea are far more likely to develop glaucoma than those without the sleep breathing disorder.

This study, published in the journal Opthalmology, was conducted in China and reviewed the medical records for over 1000 patients who were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. These were compared to over 6,000 control patients. The researchers determined that the risk of developing a type of glaucoma, called open-angle glaucoma, within 5 years of an apnea diagnosis was 1.67 times higher than in those who didn't have a sleep apnea diagnosis.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and this study shows that obstructive sleep apnea not only affects our circulatory health but other bodily systems as well. Hopefully this study encourages physicians to alert sleep apnea patients of the associations between sleep apnea and this type of glaucoma so patients can seek proper screening and treatment.

Sleep apnea affects about 100 million people worldwide. Oral appliance therapy is a wonderful alternative to the masks and hoses associated with CPAP treatment - find out if you are a candidate by contacting Dr. Kenneth A. Mogell today at 561-394-9000.

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