Is There a Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Diabetes?

If you have high blood pressure, you’re more likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Conversely, if you have sleep apnea, you are more likely to have high blood pressure. In a similar relationship, if you have diabetes, you are more likely to have sleep apnea and vice versa.

Research shows that about seventy-one percent of people suffering from diabetes may also have sleep apnea. There are a lot of published studies in the last five to ten years that significantly show the strong correlation of diabetes and sleep apnea, particularly Type 2 Diabetes.

A review in 2012 with regards to the evidence that link the two conditions projected around seventy-one percent of patients with Type 2 Diabetes also have OSA according to an average of 5 studies with a total of 1,200 patients. Types 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, and the probability of developing this condition is often based on various risk factors such as how overweight you are, the location of unwanted body fat deposits, and how long you have been overweight.

For a sleeping disorder to have a relationship with diabetes may seem as a surprise for some people, but experts have noted some suggestive patterns. In clinical research, studies show that sleep-disordered breathing conditions such as sleep apnea have been linked to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Insulin is a basic requirement for the body cell to get its supply of glucose. However, when fat cells become more resistant to insulin, this will then result in high glucose levels in the bloodstream, and enough energy is not provided to other cells that need them. In other words, the unwanted body fat prevents the energy supply from glucose to be distributed in the body, and sooner or later, your body will be completely resistant to insulin.

Sleep apnea is usually characterized by loud snoring sounds and pauses in breathing while asleep. Excess weight is frequently counted as among the causes of sleep apnea because the fat deposits around the upper airways are obstructing breathing. Also, being overweight can be a direct cause of developing Type 2 diabetes, and it can also result in developing further complications for those diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea.

There is a strong connection between diabetes and sleep apnea, but what most people do not know is that being overweight also has its own share of diabetes risks. The growing number of overweight people results in an increasing rate of diabetes.

If you are diabetic or suffer from sleep apnea, please schedule your next dental appointment with a dentist in Pasadena to discuss the possible oral appliance treatment options for sleep apnea. Your dentist at Prestige Dental can also evaluate the gums and discuss the effect of diabetes on the health of the gums, bones, and teeth.

Location: 1060 E Green St #203, Pasadena, CA 91106