Diabetes and Sleep Apnea Linked

(Ivanhoe Newswire) ? Obese people with type 2 diabetes might want to get checked out for sleep apnea as well.

According to Temple University researchers who conducted sleep tests on 306 such patients, nearly 87 percent were found to have the sleep disorder. Twenty-two percent were diagnosed with the severe form of the condition.

People with larger waistlines and higher body mass indexes (BMI) were the most likely to also have sleep apnea. 

"Doctors who have obese patients with type 2 diabetes need to be aware of the possibility of sleep apnea, even if no symptoms are present, especially in cases where the patient has a high BMI or waist circumference," study author Gary Foster, Ph.D., was quoted as saying. "The high prevalence of undiagnosed, and therefore, untreated sleep apnea among obese patients with diabetes constitutes a serious public health problem."

The researchers specifically note the increased risk for heart disease and stroke seen in people with the sleep disorder.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, published online May 21, 2009

If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Melissa Medalie at mmedalie@ivanhoe.com