According to Medscape, a new study suggests too much sleep may be tied to retinal problems.
Adult patients of a retina practice with a diagnosis of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were significantly more likely than those without the condition to report sleeping more than 8 hours per night. Further, patients who reported sleeping more than 8 hours per night had a sevenfold increased risk for geographic atrophy secondary to AMD, Rahul N. Khurana, MD, from Northern California Retina Vitreous Associates, Mountain View, California, and colleagues report in an article published in the February issue of Retina.
“It is important to emphasize that association does not imply causation, as longer sleeping times will not directly cause atrophy,” the authors stress.
Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between duration of sleep and cardiovascular disease and hypertension, both of which have been associated with AMD. In this clinic-based, cross-sectional study, the researchers explored the relationship between sleep patterns and advanced AMD in 1003 consecutive patients in a community retina practice who were surveyed about sleep histories with a standardized questionnaire.
