Type 2 Diabetes & Sleep Apnoea have a fatal link

Saturday 16th January 2010

For the first time a study has revealed how an untreated case of obstructive sleep apnoea could worsen a type 2 diabetics health as their control over their blood glucose levels becomes harder. Not only that, but the study discovered that many type 2 diabetes sufferers are in fact suffering from sleep apnoea, albeit unbeknown to them.

The study involved the examination of 60 patients who were known to have type 2 diabetes; of these 60 patients a worrying 77% of them had some form of obstructive sleep apnoea.  More significantly, of this 77% (46 people) only five of them had been tested for the disorder previously, but none were receiving treatment. Of these 46 people it was found that 8 had a severe case of obstructive sleep apnoea, 15 had moderate and 23 had mild. These patients then had their blood glucose levels tested, which were found to have increased considerably. Thus, the affect that obstructive sleep apnoea is having on the patients blood glucose levels could be counteracting any anti-diabetic drugs being taken. Therefore, the affect this could have on a diabetic’s health is significantly clear; particularly when obstructive sleep apnoea is a disorder than can go untreated within the sufferer for a considerable period of time. Doctors do suggest that if you should investigate the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea if you are diabetic, particularly if you are feeling fatigued, un-refreshed and so on during the day.

It is hoped that this study has considerably increased doctor’s attention to the close linkage between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea. Therefore, when doctors come to screen their patients they are likely to find that 80% of diabetics are suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea. The condition itself is widely treatable and the cure of that could dramatically help them to maintain their blood glucose levels and generally improve their overall health in the long-term.

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