Sleep disorders linked to glaucoma

Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep-associated apnoea appear to contribute to an increased risk of glaucoma, according to a study.

Researchers performed a community-based cross-sectional analysis to evaluate the association between objectively measured sleep parameters and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness. They also conducted a nationwide population-based longitudinal analysis with up to 7.5 years of follow-up to estimate the risk of glaucoma.

The regional cohort included 5,958 adults aged 40–80 years who underwent wrist actigraphy and optical coherence tomography. The nationwide cohort consisted of adults aged ≥40 years, including 985,136 with insomnia and 72,075 with sleep apnoea syndrome along with 6,318,0432 and 66,573,036 controls without the respective disorders.

In the regional cohort, RNFL thickness peaked at 6–7 h of actual sleep but declined with shorter sleep duration. Sleeping <6 h remained independently associated with thinner RNFL after adjustment for age, sex, intraocular pressure, and systemic factors.

In the nationwide cohort, insomnia was associated with a 30-percent increased risk of glaucoma (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.30, 95 percent CI, 1.28–1.32). Sleep apnoea syndrome was associated with a 43-percent risk increase (aHR, 1.43, 95 percent CI, 1.35–1.51).

These findings underscore the importance of integrating sleep evaluation and management into ophthalmic care in glaucoma prevention.