Sleep Apnea May Increase Risk of Diabetes

A new study has found that people with obstructive sleep apnea are at increased risk of developing type II diabetes, independent of other risk factors.

In obstructive sleep apnea, the upper airway narrows or collapses during sleep.

There will be partial arouses throughout the night hundreds of times which disrupts your sleep.

Obesity is the major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. Hypertension, stroke and heart disease are also associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

The study looked at 593 patients at the VA Connecticut Health Care System referred for evaluation of sleep disordered breathing. Patients are asked to spend a night in the sleep laboratory to undergo a sleep study known as polysomnography [Polysomnogram Test].

The researchers followed the subject for up to six years and found that patients diagnosed with sleep apnea had more than two and half times the risk of developing diabetes compared with those without the night time breathing disorder.

Depending on the severity of sleep apnea, patients were divided into two groups. Researchers found that the more severe the sleep apnea, the greater the risk of developing diabetes.

Sleep apnea activates fight-or-flight response. This causes events including production of high levels of the cortisol hormone that ultimately leads to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. These pre-diabetic conditions if left untreated can lead to the development of diabetes.

While the connection between two diseases is unclear, getting a good night sleep helps your body to maintain a healthy blood sugar level by controlling hormones and preventing oxidative stress.

Damage of cells can be caused by free radicals and it can occur in people with sleep apnea when the body’s tissues don’t get the oxygen they need.

Low oxygen levels also play an important role in the development of diabetes. The major cause of sleep apnea is obesity or overweight. This can also worsen type II diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea should be treated to control diabetes and the most effective treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

CPAP machine delivers air through the mask keeping the airway open, while the patient sleeps. CPAP is successful in treating obstructive sleep apnea and improving quality of life and reduction in risk for traffic accidents.

It has to be determined whether CPAP treatment for sleep apnea can actually improve condition like diabetes. The next step in the study is to determine whether the treatment for obstructive sleep apnea improves diabetic parameters and negative health effects of diabetes.

Diet, exercise and medication are the main things for the treatment of diabetes but it is a major challenge. New approaches are necessary to understand the risk factors for diabetes in order to develop preventive strategies.