Role of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in the Occurrence of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common visual complication of diabetes. Risk factors for developing DR are diabetes duration, glycemic control, and hypertension. The prevalence ranges from 17 to 61% according to the diabetes duration. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is very frequent in Type 2 Diabetes population, reaching a prevalence of 23-48%. Few is known about the exact role of OSAS in the development of DR. A recent study has shown that OSAS is an independent predictor for the progression to pre-/proliferative DR. The purpose of the present study is to assess if the presence of OSA in diabetic patients is a predictive factor for DR occurrence.