Control your Diabetes by treating Sleep Apnea

Diabetes and sleep apnea are becoming growing problems in adults. The National Sleep Foundation states that up to 18 million people suffer from sleep apnea while the National Diabetes Information Clearing House states that 21 million people suffer from diabetes. Zachary Bloomgarden, a widely read and respected endocrinologist and one of the most well-known diabetologists in New York, published a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine that showed 50% of men and 20% of women who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes also suffer from sleep apnea. His study also found that there is a direct correlation between the severity of someone’s diabetes and the severity of their sleep apnea.

It’s important to recognize the connection between the two disorders because sleep apnea can actually make diabetes worse. Sleep deprivation due to sleep apnea, causes an increase in blood glucose levels. Not only can it cause an increase in glucose levels, it can contribute to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance actually increases the production of insulin in the bloodstream which can develop into diabetes.

Dr. Bloomgarden’s research proved that diabetic patients who use CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) treatment for sleep apnea improved their insulin sensitivity, after only two days! Hyperinsulinemic clamp studies (tests that determine a patient’s insulin sensitivity) prove that diabetic patients who use CPAP for at least four hours a night for five months show an improvement in two important risk factors for diabetes; postprandial glycemia and A1C levels. This is encouraging news for people who are unable to control their diabetes through diet and medication alone. So if you are someone who is suffering from sleep apnea and you have been diagnosed with diabetes, talk to your health care professional about using CPAP to help improve both of your conditions.

Bloomgarden, Zachary. “Third Annual World Congress on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome.” Diabetes Care. 29:2165-2174, 2006. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/9/2165.

• 18 million people suffer from sleep apnea.
  
  
  
• 21 million people suffer from diabetes.
  
  
  
• 50% of men and 20% of women with type 2 diabetes suffer from sleep apnea.
  
  
  
• Sleep deprivation due to sleep apnea increases glucose levels and contributes to insulin resistance.
  
  
  
• Diabetic patients treated with CPAP improved their insulin sensitivity.
  
  
  
• Using CPAP for 4 hours a night over 5 months showed an improvement in postpriandial glycemia and A1C levels.