Sleep And Diabetes

Sleep disorders may predict Diabetes?

Sleep apnea is a common problem in which people have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. As a result, the person suffers from poor quality of sleep making them tired during the day. Further, sleep apnea results in less oxygen reaching the cells in the body, less sleep and an increased heart rate, all of which are associated with a biological link to Diabetes.

To assess the same a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine assessed more than 8500 adults with sleep apnea who did not have Diabetes. The researchers noted that the people with most severe sleep apnea had a 30 per cent increased risk of developing Diabetes in future compared to those with the least severe sleep apnea. Also it was observed that patients suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnea had 23 per cent higher risk of developing Diabetes. Although this study does not prove that sleep apnea causes Diabetes there is a possibility of an association between the two.