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Patients with sleep apnea, diabetes have higher risk for advanced retinopathy

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Patients with both obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, according to a study led by the University of Birmingham.

The 230-patient longitudinal study at two Midlands, U.K., diabetes clinics showed the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared with those without OSA. In addition, those who used a machine to treat OSA had a lower risk for developing advanced diabetic retinopathy, a press release from the university said.

“We can conclude from this study that OSA is an independent predictor for the progression to moderate or severe diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes,” Abd Tahrani, MD, PhD, corresponding author of the study, said in the release. The findings are important because improved understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy may help identify new treatments, Tahrani added.

The researchers said that clinicians who treat patients with type 2 diabetes and OSA should take appropriate preventive measures to reduce their risk for developing advanced retinopathy.