title: Sleep apnea and risk of retinal vein occlusion: a nationwide population-based study of Taiwanese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship of sleep apnea and the subsequent development of retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective nonrandomized, matched-control cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1997 through 2007, we identified newly diagnosed sleep apnea cases in the database. A control group without sleep apnea, matched for age, gender, and comorbidities, was selected for comparison. The 2 cohorts were followed up, and the occurrence of RVO was observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 35 634 sampled patients (5965 sleep apnea patients vs 29 669 controls), 52 (0.15%) experienced RVO during a mean follow-up period of 3.72 years, including 13 (0.22%, all branch RVO) from the sleep apnea cohort and 39 (0.13%, 39 branch RVO and 10 central RVO) from the control group. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the tendency of sleep apnea patients toward RVO development (P = .048, log-rank test). Patients with sleep apnea experienced a 1.94-fold increase (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 3.65; P = .041) in incident RVO, which was independent of age, gender, and comorbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep apnea may be an independent risk factor for RVO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kun-Ta
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chin-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Der-Chong
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yuh-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Diahn-Warng
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Perng
authors.forename: Guang-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.forename: Yu-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsin-Bang
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Leu
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology