Effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Objective To explore the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

Methods From January 2021 to December 2022, 55 patients with NAION diagnosed and treated in the Department of Ophthalmology of Qianwei Hospital were selected as research objects, and all of them were monitored by multi-channel sleep recorder. Patient's apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal blood oxygen saturation (SaO₂) were recorded, the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in the affected eye was measured, and detection rate of OSAS was clarified. Patients were divided into mild group, moderate group and severe group according to their conditions of disease, and the differences of RNFL among patients with different grades were analyzed.

Results Among the 55 NAION patients, 42 cases were diagnosed as OSAS (76.36%) and 13 cases were normal (23.64%); among the OSAS patients, there were 9 cases with mild degree (21.43%), 15 cases with moderate degree (35.71%), and 18 cases with severe degree (42.86%); there were no significant differences in the clinical materials between groups (P>0.05). There were significant differences in AHI, nocturnal minimum SaO₂ and RNFL thickness among patients with different OSAS grades (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that there were negative correlations of AHI, nocturnal minimum SaO₂ with RNFL thickness of the left and right eyes (P < 0.05), and OSAS was positively correlated with NAION (P < 0.05).

Conclusion OSAS has an impact on NAION, and the more severe the condition is, the greater the impact will be, which may be a potential intervention factor for NAION.