LA JOLLA, Calif., July 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggested that people suffering from type 2 diabetes might be at an increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

The research -- the first prospective study to assess the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in male and female adults with type 2 diabetes -- was led by Dr. Daniel Einhorn at The Whittier Institute for Diabetes in La Jolla, Calif.

Researchers evaluated 279 adults who suffered from type 2 diabetes and found 36 percent of the patients also suffered from OSA, with men more than twice as likely to have OSA than women. They also found OSA was particularly common in men over the age of 62.

"These findings demonstrate that obstructive sleep apnea has a high prevalence in adults with type 2 diabetes," said Einhorn. "Given that treatment of obstructive sleep apnea has the potential to both decrease blood pressure and improve glycemic control, individuals with type 2 diabetes should be regularly screened for the presence of sleep apnea."

The study appears in the journal Endocrine Practice.