The Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients

Background This study aimed to assess the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in glaucoma patients using the STOP-BANG questionnaire at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia. Methodology This study used a cross-sectional telephone survey. Patients older than 18 years diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma, without a diagnosis of respiratory disease or steroid use, completed the STOP-BANG questionnaire, a validated tool to determine the risk for developing OSA. Patients with a score of 3 or more were considered at intermediate risk of OSA, and those with a score of 5 or more of the maximum 8 points were considered to have a high risk for moderate/severe OSA. Social demographic information and medical histories were collected from all patients using the medical record system of the KAUH. Results A total of 77 patients with glaucoma were included in the study. The mean STOP-BANG score was 3.40 ± 1.5; 27.3% of the patients had low risk of OSA, 36.4% had intermediate risk, and 36.4% had high risk. An evaluation of the OSA symptoms found snoring, tiredness, and observed apnea in 29.9%, 36.4%, and 14.3% of patients, respectively. The association between body mass index and STOP-BANG score was significant. Conclusions Our analysis and assessment of the association between glaucoma and OSA found no evidence that glaucoma patients are more likely to have OSA or develop more severe OSA than others. Therefore, we do not recommend systematic screening of glaucoma patients for OSA.