Toronto Sun: Sleep Apnea Treatment Could Help Diabetics

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People with diabetes and sleep apnea could worsen their diabetes if the sleep disorder isn't properly treated, a new University of Chicago study says.

Published in the Diabetes Journal, the study looked at 115 people with Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea to examine the impact of sleep apnea on someone's metabolic rate and control of blood sugars.

Sleep apnea causes pauses in breathing during sleep, and is known to raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Patients who had interrupted breathing during REM sleep had worse long-term effects on their blood sugar control, the researchers found.

The researchers found that best results aren't achieved from the typical treatment, using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for four hours.

Some patients remove their CPAP mask in the night because of discomfort, but can miss the REM sleep period that often occurs in the hours before waking.

Patients who had CPAP for seven hours, receiving the air during REM sleep, would have a better blood sugar control long-term, the study found.

Original Article: Toronto Sun