Those with Diabetes Should be Screened for Sleep Apnea -- And Vice Versa

Health experts are encouraging diabetics to be screened for sleep apnea after a recent study shows that nearly one in three have the disorder.

In a report in the journal Endocrine Practice, researchers examined 279 individuals with type 2 diabetes and found that 36 percent had obstructive sleep apnea. Men with diabetes were especially susceptible. They had a one-third increased risk of sleep apnea below age 45, and this risk doubled in men over age 65. Though women had a lesser incidence, it likewise increased substantially with age.

This underscores the importance of screening diabetics for sleep apnea -- and sleep apneics for diabetes -- as the two conditions seem to commonly occur together. Moreover, treatment of sleep apnea can be of paramount importance in managing an individual's diabetes.