Adults suffering from diabetes and from obstructive sleep apnea (also known as OSA) may find that their type two diabetes gets worse since it seriously affects their ability to maintain their glucose at a constant level. This is shown in a recent paper from the University of Chicago.
This paper shows that there is a proven relationship between seriousness of OSA and glucose level maintenance within sufferers of type 2 diabetes.
The paper has been made available on the internet in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and has backed up claims that OSA which is not diagnosed is very frequent in sufferers of type two diabetes. As such it is seen as a hidden extra risk for these patients.
The lead researcher of the paper, Dr. Renee Aronsohn and her colleagues drafted in patients with type two diabetes to be involved in the research. Each patient was reviewed to understand their diabetes level and history as well as their physical health. Dimensions of each patient were measured and their sleeping cycles kept track of for a period of 5 days. Patients were then tested during the night for OSA and their glucose measured from a sample of the blood.
In total, sixty of the participants were involved in the paper’s ultimate breakdown. Over seventy five percent of them were found to have OSA, though just 5 were known to have it previously and not a single one was under treatment. Thirty eight percent were found to have milder OSA and twenty five percent had moderate OSA. Thirteen percent had more serious OSA.
The scientists discovered that more serious OSA was linked to bad glucose control, which suggests the part diabetes has to play. Compared to the participants without OSA, those with this condition saw their glycemic index rise by 1.49%, 1.93% and 3.69%. These are in the range of hypoglycaemic medications, which means that those suffering from OSA could find their counter diabetic medication having no effect.
Doctor John Heffner, who is the previous president of the American Thoracic Society, commented on the research, saying that physicians should be sure to check all type two diabetes patients for obstructive sleep apnea. He believes that more than eighty percent of patients will find they have OSA, and that is possible to treat it.
