Article Text
Abstract
The ROSA trial (Retinopathy and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea) is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial conducted in the United Kingdom. The hypothesis is that CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) will improve visual acuity in people with diabetic macular oedema and concurrent OSA, due to improvements in intermittent hypoxia, blood pressure and catecholamine surges. An uncontrolled study showed visual acuity improved equivalent to one line on the logMAR chart in those people who used CPAP regularly at six months (Mason RH et al. Respiration 2012). We present baseline data from a larger randomised controlled trial.
Methods Patients of Eye Hospitals across the UK with diabetic macular oedema and type 2 diabetes were offered home sleep studies to diagnose OSA. These were posted to them with instructions by the coordinating centre and returned by post after a single night’s recording. Those patients found to have severe OSA (ODI > 20 or AHI > 30), along with visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema were randomised to usual ophthalmic care (control) or usual ophthalmic care plus CPAP for one year. Anyone with respiratory failure, excessive daytime sleepiness requiring urgent treatment or cataract precluding ophthalmic assessment was excluded. Follow up occurred at three, six and twelve months and included measures of sleepiness, health related quality of life, visual acuity, optical coherence tomography and retinal photography.
Results There have been 130 patients randomised from 23 UK centres; 64 to CPAP, 66 to control. The groups are well matched at baseline (Table).
Conclusions This novel study demonstrates that it is feasible to conduct a multicentre randomised controlled trial with UK Eye Hospitals and their local Sleep service, all coordinated by a single centre (Newcastle). The UK NHS National Institute for Health Research has facilitated this research via the Local Clinical Research Network at each centre. Minimisation criteria for randomisation has enabled the two groups to be well matched at baseline, essential for this type of study. The results of this trial will determine whether CPAP could form a novel treatment for diabetic macular oedema and and visual impairment in people with concurrent obstructive sleep apnoea; these results are eagerly awaited when follow up is completed in 2017.