Sleep Apnea and Nocturnal Hypoxemia Linked to Type-2 Diabetes in Men

In a lot of ways, it makes sense that type-2 diabetes and sleep apnea would be related. After all, they share a common risk factor—being overweight.

According to a study in the latest edition of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (warning: academic language), many men, age 40 and over, are diagnosed with either sleep apnea or type-2 diabetes, but oftentimes one of those disorders is undiagnosed. According to the study’s conclusion “severe undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and nocturnal hypoxemia were independently associated with the development of diabetes.”

It is recommended that if one is displaying signs of either diabetes or sleep apnea, that person should see a physician to be tested for the other. Since these two disorders appear to be linked in some capacity, a diagnosis of either sleep apnea or diabetes could mean one is more likely to develop the other.

If you’ve been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and are concerned you might also have sleep apnea and/or nocturnal hypoxemia (also known as low-oxygen saturation), give us a call to schedule an appointment.