Benefit of continuous positive airway pressure on optic nerve damage in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CPAP in increasing the thickness of retinal layers. Other aims were to assess retinal and optic nerve damage predictors in OSA and establish predictors of poor response to CPAP treatment in optic nerve damage.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study with consecutive inclusion of the first 3 patients who attended for treatment each day. All patients underwent a diagnostic polygraph, and patients with moderate-severe OSA treated with CPAP were recruited. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was performed within 3 days of the patient's inclusion and 12 months after the start of CPAP treatment.

RESULTS

Data from 37 patients with OSA were analysed. After 12 months of CPAP treatment, there was a significant improvement in the thickness of the superotemporal Bruch's membrane opening-minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) (316.54 to 318.23 μm, p-value = 0.08). There was a non-significant improvement in the thickness of nasal, inferonasal and superonasal retinal nerve fibre layers. In a multivariate analysis, HB and Type 2 diabetes mellitus have been associated with an increased odds ratio (OR) of retinal and optical nerve damage (OR = 3.58, p = 0.03 and OR = 4.344, p = 0.042, respectively).

CONCLUSION

BMO-MRW thickness may assess early damage induced by OSA and the response to CPAP. HB is a predictor of retinal and optic nerve damage in patients with OSA. CPAP treatment has a long-term protective effect on the retina and optic nerve.