Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea linked

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10 (UPI) -- Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea are closely related and both have significant implications for public health, an Australian researcher says.

Paul Zimmet, foundation director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne and co-chairman of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention says, health policy makers and the general public must be made aware of the link between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea so that all can begin to address the significant economic burden and debilitating health consequences to both individuals and the community.

"While type 2 diabetes is recognized as a serious global epidemic, the severe health consequences of untreated sleep apnea, especially in people with diabetes, are not," Zimmet said in a statement.

Recent studies show obstructive sleep apnea is common in people with diabetes. Estimates suggest up to 40 percent of people with obstructive sleep apnea also have diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation statement urging healthcare providers to address the relationship between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea was presented at the American Diabetes Association 68th Annual Scientific Sessions in San Francisco and is published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.