AMD apnoea link discovered

People with untreated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and exudative AMD may have decreased response to bevacizumab therapy, a new study has found.

‘The results of this interventional comparative case series suggest that untreated OSA may underlie non-responsiveness to anti-VEGF treatment in a subset of patients with exudative AMD,’ wrote Professor Shlomit Schaal from the University of Louisville in Kentucky in the April issue of Retina.

‘Compliance with OSA therapy promoted a positive response to anti-VEGF treatment, a decrease in the macular volume and in the amount of subretinal ?uid, and resulted in a signi?cantly decreased need for frequent anti-VEGF injections.’

‘Identifying and treating underlying OSA earlier in patients with exudative AMD may yield better functional outcomes,’ concluded researchers.