Diabetes Linked To Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Researchers have found a link between type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can have a significant impact on a person"s heath.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention has urged health care providers to create awareness on the relationship between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea.

“While type 2 diabetes is recognized as a serious global epidemic, the severe health consequences of untreated sleep apnea, especially in people with diabetes, are not," said Professor Paul Zimmet, Foundation Director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia and co-chair of the IDF Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention.

“Health policy makers and the general public must be made aware of the link between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea so that we can begin to address the significant economic burden and debilitating health consequences to both individuals and the community,"

“Today"s statement is an urgent call to action to the medical community. It is imperative that we better understand the relationship between diabetes and sleep apnea through research and establish appropriate standards of care for managing diabetes and co-morbidities such as sleep apnea," he added.

Several new studies have shown that nearly 40 pct of people with OSA have diabetes 2, 3.

It has been shown that the prevalence of CVD increases with the increasing severity of OSA and people with diabetes and/or OSA face serious cardiovascular problems and earlier death.

Undiagnosed OSA may interfere with lifestyle treatment for diabetes. IDF therefore strongly recommends that healthcare professionals working in both type 2 diabetes and sleep disorders are educated about the links between the two conditions and encouraged to adopt clinical practices to ensure that a person presenting with one condition is considered for the other.

The IDF Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention statement includes recommendations for screening, treatment and further research.

The IDF statement was released in a presentation at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 68th Annual Scientific Sessions and in an article published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice1.