11 Jun Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Increase Risk of Diabetes

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tetyana Kendzerska MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science,
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, ON

MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr.  Kendzerska: Based on a large sample of more than 8,500 participants with suspected sleep apnea, our study shows that among people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and controlling for risk factors for diabetes development, initial OSA severity predicted risk for incident diabetes. Measures of the physiologic consequences of OSA (e.g., low level of oxygen, sleep deprivation) were also risk factors for diabetes in this population.

MedicalResearch: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr.  Kendzerska: We found that apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) during rapid eye movement sleep (REM-AHI) was significantly associated with incident diabetes and had a larger effect than overall AHI. The clinical importance of REM-AHI may have significant implications for clinical practice.

MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Kendzerska: Controlling for known risk factors for diabetes, including age, sex, body mass index, smoking, income status, and comorbidities at baseline, patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea had a 30% higher risk of developing diabetes than those without obstructive sleep apnea.

MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Kendzerska: Risk-stratification of patients with obstructive sleep apnea according to these OSA parameters may be useful in identifying those most likely to develop diabetes, allowing timely intervention.

Citation:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Incident Diabetes: A Historical Cohort Study

Last Updated on November 26, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD