Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes people to wake up during sleep because they cannot breathe. During an apnea episode, a person might be deprived of air for 10 seconds or more, resulting in disturbed sleep and unhealthy stress for the body’s sensitive systems. Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk for diabetes. And in fact, as many as 60 to 70% of patients with type 2 diabetes have been found to have a component of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep apnea can worsen existing diabetes if left untreated. If you’ve been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, it’s important to talk with your doctor about what steps to take to reduce the risk for diabetes.

Sleep Apnea and Body Systems

Even when you’re sleeping, your body’s systems continue working hard to make sure everything runs healthfully and smoothly. During an apnea episode, the loss of air triggers a domino effect within your body. Your cardiovascular system, nervous system and hormonal systems all go into high gear. As the body works frantically to stabilize, normal processes are disrupted. Your hormone system releases special fight-or-flight hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, which have the unfortunate effect of raising your body’s blood pressure and blood glucose levels. In moderate to severe sleep apnea these constant, unwanted blood pressure fluctuations can eventually lead to hypertension.

It’s All Related

Treating sleep apnea can help address diabetes-related problems for patients. Overall, effective sleep apnea treatments can reduce insulin resistance, help lower blood pressure, and lead to more stabilized blood glucose levels. Interestingly, sleep apnea and diabetes are both more prevalent among individuals who are overweight or obese. Why?

Being overweight or obese can mean that there are excess body tissues in your airway, creating obstructions that make it hard for you to breathe at night. This can result in sleep apnea, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Being overweight or obese can mean that your body struggles to properly metabolize foods, especially sugary or starchy foods, while maintaining normal blood glucose levels. This can result in diabetes. This can create an unhealthy cycle, since the side effects of sleep apnea (for example, disrupted, shorter sleep) can result in increased appetite, less self control when it comes to selecting healthy foods, and less motivation to exercise.

What to Do

If you have already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is also important to discuss with your doctor your potential risk for sleep apnea. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea but do not have diabetes, know that sleep apnea increases your risk of developing diabetes down the road. Talk with your doctor for ideas about how to prevent diabetes. Exercise, a healthy diet, and better sleep habits could all contribute to improved overall health, potentially reducing your risk for diabetes.

References

American Diabetes Association, Sleep Apnea

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/related-conditions/sleep-apnea.html

National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Apnea and Diabetes

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/sleep-apnea-and-diabetes

Journal of Applied Physiology, Disorders of Glucose Metabolism in Sleep Apnea

http://jap.physiology.org/content/jap/99/5/1998.full.pdf

Chest, (NIH), Obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes: interacting epidemics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18252916

American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Myths

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/