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Be aware of relationship between sleep apnea and ocular conditions

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NEW YORK – Recognizing the connection between floppy eyelid syndrome, forme fruste disease and sleep apnea may lead to a lifesaving diagnosis, according to a case presentation on Sunday at the PRIMARY CARE OPTOMETRY NEWS symposium here.

J. James Thimons, OD discussed a case in which a 44-year old male patient who was diagnosed with forme fruste disease and floppy eyelid syndrome was subsequently diagnosed with sleep apnea.

“There is a co-relationship between these conditions and sleep apnea, and diagnosing the sleep apnea can save a patient’s life,” Dr. Thimons said.

Dr. Thimons also cited a study by Rick E. Bendel, MD, from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. In this study of 83 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 33% of these patients also had normal-tension glaucoma. Only four of these patients had been previously recognized and treated, the study said.