Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology  2009;16(2):61-64

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes.

Hyeon Hui KANG ; Sang Haak LEE

Keywords

Obstructive sleep apnea; Type 2 diabetes; Insulin resistance; Glucose intolerance

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been definitively shown to be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Recent reports have indicated that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism, also have type 2 diabetes. The potential mechanisms leading to the development of type 2 diabetes in OSA patients are likely to be various. Reduced physical activity resulting from daytime somnolence, sympathetic nervous system activation, intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation and sleep loss, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, alteration in adipokine profiles, and activation of inflammatory pathways have been proposed. Based on the current evidence, clinicians should assess the risk of OSA in patients with type 2 diabetes and, conversely, consider that possibility of glucose intolerance in patients with OSA. Further large-scale and long-term follow-up studies in patient populations with selected by reliable but inexpensive diagnostic measures, controlled for potential confounder factor, are needed.