Sleep apnea linked with blood sugar levels
Sleep apnoea has been linked with elevated blood sugar levels, suggesting people with the condition could be at an increased risk of cardiovascular illness and mortality.
The findings of a new study, published online today (3 April 2014) in the European Respiratory Journal, add to a growing body of evidence that suggests that sleep apnoea is linked with diabetes.
The research analysed 5,294 participants from the multinational European Sleep Apnoea Cohort. The researchers measured levels of HbA1c, which correlates with average plasma glucose concentration. This measurement allows researchers to gain an understanding of blood sugar levels over a period of time.
People with diabetes have higher levels of HbA1c and the risk of developing cardiovascular complications is increased as these levels are raised. (The target levels for HbA1c are 4.0
More information: Sleep apnoea severity independently predicts glycaemic health in non-diabetic subjects: the ESADA study, Brian D Kent, Ludger Grote, Marisa Bonsignore, Tarja Saaresranta, Johan Verbraecken, Patrick Lévy, Pawel Sliwinski, Ruzena Tkacova, John-Arthur Kvamme, Ingo Fietze, Jan Hedner and Walter T McNicholas on behalf of the ESADA collaborators, DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00162713
