According to Health Canada, the link between sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes is often overlooked, yet significant. During Diabetes Awareness Month, it’s important to highlight the interactions between these two health conditions, and how those affected can better manage their situation.
According to Health Canadaapproximately 2.3 million Canadians suffer from type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects the way the body regulates blood sugar levels. In addition Ministère de la Santé du Québec estimates that nearly 850,000 Quebecers suffer from sleep apnea, although many cases go undiagnosed. Recent studies have highlighted an important connection between these two conditions, prompting us to tackle this subject today.
When you suffer from sleep apnea, your airways become blocked repeatedly during the night, leading to constant micro-awakenings and disrupted sleep. This lack of restful sleep leads to chronic fatigue and stress on the body. As it happens, sleep deprivation also influences blood glucose regulation, increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or worsening symptoms in those already diagnosed.
Research indicates that people with severe sleep apnea are up to 30% more likely of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those without. Indeed, around 30% of patients with OSA also suffer from T2DM, while the prevalence of OSA in people with type 2 diabetes varies between 20% and 50%. This highlights a bidirectional relationship between these two conditions. This is explained by several mechanisms, including increased resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. The repetitive lack of oxygen due to breathing interruptions also increases oxidative stress, a factor that contributes to inflammation and the deterioration of metabolic functions.
Consequences for diabetic patients
For a person living with diabetes, suffering from sleep apnea can complicate the day-to-day management of the disease. Fluctuating glucose levels become more difficult to control, increasing the risk of long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease. Indeed, hypertension and heart disease are already major risks for diabetics, and sleep apnea only exacerbates these risks.
It’s vital that people with diabetes are alert to the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing during the night, excessive daytime fatigue and waking headaches. Too often, these symptoms are ignored or attributed solely to lifestyle habits, when an underlying respiratory disorder may be to blame.
The good news is that treating sleep apnea can have beneficial effects not only on sleep quality, but also on diabetes management. Patients using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which helps keep the airway open during sleep, often see an improvement in blood glucose levels and a reduction in insulin resistance. Whatever the severity, the efficacy of the treatment is not negligible: positive pressure therapy is highly proven to be effective for all sleep apnea sufferers.
By working with your medical team – doctors, respiratory therapists and nutritionists – you can develop a treatment plan that takes into account both your diabetes and your sleep apnea. This means not only adopting a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and exercise, but also proactively treating your sleep.
The reason we’re talking about this correlation this month is that November is all about diabetes awarenessa disease that affects many Quebecers and Canadians. It’s crucial that we support these people by helping them recognize the interactions between different health conditions that can worsen their daily lives. Through this blog, we hope to raise awareness not only among our diabetes patients, but also among anyone who may be at risk of sleep apnea without knowing it.
Our team is here to support and advise you in managing these health challenges. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss screening for sleep apnea. Together, we can improve your quality of life and help you live better with diabetes.
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