Summary
Diabetics are nine times as likely to suffer from sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that occurs during the sleep cycle and can cause serious health problems when untreated. In a recent study at the University of Illinois-Chicago, researchers found that treating diabetic for sleep apnea lead to a significant drop in blood glucose levels – which could potentially cut the risk of developing heart and kidney problems by 6-12 percent. The study suggests that people with diabetes be routinely tested and treated for sleep apnea as part of their glucose-maintenance regimen.
Original source:
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/02/28/hscout524213.html
Details
Type 2 diabetics who suffer from sleep apnea may be able to significantly lower their glucose levels if they treat their breathing disorder, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found.
In the small study, 25 type 2 diabetics who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea underwent standard treatment for the condition.
Obesity is a known risk factor for diabetes as well as sleep apnea, and diabetics are nine times more likely to have sleep apnea than people without the disease, Herdegen said.
The participants underwent the standard treatment for the sleep apnea, called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which includes going to bed wearing a mask over the nose or nostrils that is attached to a machine that blows air through the upper respiratory tract, keeping the back of the throat from closing.
Further, their average glucose levels an hour after eating, a key measurement when monitoring diabetes, dropped from 190 mg/dl to 135 mg/dl.
The strong results from this study indicate the need for a larger study to measure these effects, Herdegen said, but also suggest that screening for sleep apnea should be a regular part of treatment for type 2 diabetics.
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Sunday, March 13, 2005
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