Obstructive sleep apnea linked to increased type 2 diabetes risk

[DCUK NewsBot]

People with a condition that means they occasionally stop breathing while asleep may be at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a study has claimed. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by complete or partial obstructions of the upper airway and is the most common form of sleep apnea. It can lead to breathing difficulties and disturbed sleep for patients. A total of 1,453 people, who had an average age of 63 and ranging from normal sleepers to those with severe sleep apnea, were studied over two decades. None had type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the research. After 13 years, researchers found that 285 of them had developed type 2 diabetes, and those who had severe obstructive sleep apnea were 70 per cent more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to normal sleepers. The findings of the study have promoted calls for people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes to be screened for sleep apnea and vice versa, supporting International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recommendations. Dr Mako Nagayoshi, of Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science in Japan, led the research published in the journal Sleep Medicine. She told Reuters Health: "Over the last two decades, evidence has been accruing that sleep apnea may be associated with insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes." This research is the first of its kind to use a large number of participants as previous studies into the subject have only looked at smaller numbers of people. Sleep disorder expert Dr Paul E. Peppard, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, said obesity leads to a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. He said: "These findings underscore the need to prevent sleep apnea and screen for sleep apnea in patients particularly at risk for developing diabetes - e.g., overweight and physically inactive people. "Behaviours such as healthy weight maintenance and reducing time in sedentary activities would simultaneously reduce the risk of developing sleep apnea and diabetes." Fellow sleep researcher Dr Rashmi Nisha Aurora, who is from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, has also called for healthcare professionals to be more aware of the association between the two conditions.

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[Indy51]

@Contralto - why do you do this? Reply by copying and pasting the OP, I mean? What's the point you're trying to make?

 

[mist]

Not what I want to read before bed.

 

[Resurgam]

I have been using a CPAP machine for ages - the older one was not as good - though it was the mask more than the pump which was most trouble. The modern ones are very good and are so easy to use. I did not have any trouble in getting used to the old one after I saw the drop in oxygen levels during sleep - they dropped off the bottom of the graph paper.

 

[douglas99]

I was borderline when I was diagnosed as diabetic.
Obesity seems to be a trigger for both conditions in my case, so it would be interesting to see the link in patients from this study.

Losing weight certainly gave me a better nights sleep now.

 

[Resurgam]

I agree, the one I had three years ago was not as good. Also agree about the mask. I have to adjust the elastics tight and have a deformed face in the morning LOL, but hey it is worth it! With the mask, I dropped from 60 apneas an hour to 0.4 an hour. It makes hell of a difference in energy levels. I am not walking around like a zombie anymore. So looking forward to losing more weight so that I can do without the machine...

I'm not sure that losing weight will cure sleep apnoea - I snored dreadfully at whatever weight I was.

 

[douglas99]

I'm not sure that losing weight will cure sleep apnoea - I snored dreadfully at whatever weight I was.

Obesity is the most common cause of obstructive sleep apnea.

I can personally vouch for weight loss improving the condition, but as I say, I was borderline.

While not everything will work for everyone, that's not to say it won't help, so I figured any thing was worth trying to improve my health.

 

[Resurgam]

Losing weight is considered a good thing - I'll be glad to be thinner and lighter, to have some reduction in everything else would be great.

 

[donnellysdogs]

My hubby had sleep apnea.. got told to lose weight before anything would be considered. He was iverweight but not obese.

Problem solved and he certainly isn't diabetic and thats due to low carbing..

 

[Kevin10320]

I'm t2. And I also have sleep apnoea... used to be the thinnest person who attended the sleep clinic.
both mine are an amalgamation of being on a life support machine which ******** my tharynx, and bruising to my pancreas from an rta.