Assessment of risk factors of graves ophthalmopathy

Aim: To evaluate the risk factors of patients with Graves’ ophthalmopathy Objectives: To evaluate subjects' age, sex, duration of illness, manifestation of the Graves’ opthalmopathy (GO) in relatives of first/second generation and identify smoking and stress in everyday life. To identify the most common symptoms, parameters of exophthalmometry and visual acuity. To evaluate the risk factors' influence on the parameters of exophthalmometry and vision. Methods: In 2018, 102 adult subjects with GO were examined by anonymous questionnaire survey. They were asked questions about the most relevant risk factors presented in the global and Lithuanian literature. Exophthalmometry was tested with Hertel exophthalmometer and visual acuity was checked with Snellen chart. Statistical data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS 17.0 programs. Results: Out of the 102 subjects with GO, there were 5.38 times more women than men. The subjects' mean age was 52 years (± 12,715). 31 (30,40%) claim that their relatives also have a GO. 71 (69,60%) deny having any GO history in their families or they are not aware of it (p<0,0001). 70 (68,60%) experience daily stress, 32 (31,40%) report not having stress (p<0,0001). 38 (37,30%) smoke and 64 (62,70%) report to be non-smokers (p=0,01). The most frequent complaints were proptosis (64,70%) and visual impairment (61,76%). The rarest - double vision (28,40%). The visual acuity of smoking patients is worse than that of non-smokers (p<0,05). Exophthalmometry parameters are worse among smokers than non-smokers (respectively 18,80 mm (± 1,67) and 17,96 mm (± 2,35) in the right eye and 19,18 mm (1,81) and 18,16 mm (± 2,04) in the left eye) and whose relatives are also sick (respectively 19,05 mm (± 2,50) and 17,94 mm (± 1,90) in the right eye and 19,16 mm (± 2,06) and 18,26 mm (± 1,94) in the left eye) (p