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Diabetes and Sleep Apnea
November 9, 2009 |
High blood pressure, poor diet, and excess body weight all put you at risk of developing
diabetes and that’s not all.
“Studies show there is a direct link between sleep apnea and diabetes,” says LMHS
internal medicine physician, Dr. Aldith Lewis. Sleep apnea is a disorder where the
upper respiratory muscles tend to close off while a person is sleeping, leaving
some sleepers fighting to get oxygen into the body. This tug of war can leave many
feeling tired while they are awake and not getting enough rest can cause your body’s
natural insulin levels to malfunction. That can lead to diabetes.
“Forty percent of patients who have sleep apnea also have diabetes, and if you are
a diabetic, 23% of those also have sleep apnea,” warns Dr. Lewis. She says patients
should be screened for both just to be on the safe side. “If you see a patient with
sleep apnea, screen them for diabetes. If you have a diabetic, screen them for sleep
apnea, because actually the studies show that if you treat sleep apnea, your blood
glucose levels actually become better.”
In fact, University of Chicago researchers put this finding to the test. They found
that blood sugar levels were normal for those who had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
The levels were abnormal for those had interrupted sleep.
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