Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Introduction

The word apnea in common terminology means “without sleep”. Sleep apnea can be defined as the continuous blockage of breathing during sleep. The period of blockage can range from a minute to an hour. It can affect the quality of sleep, and a person usually feels tired during the day time. It is commonly found in both men and women and also occurs in small children who are usually encountered with their enlarged tonsils.

It is important to classify the different types of sleep apnea that occur in patients for better understanding the issue and comprehend the risks. There are two types: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and Central sleep apnea (CSA). Obstructive sleep apnea can be defined as the state in sleep where a person breathing muscles got relax. It is mostly commonly found among the people. Overweight and small children are mostly encountered with this type of sleep apnea. The prevalence of OSA in American citizen ranges from 2 to 4% and is higher among men as compared to women (Young et al., 1993). Various risks of OSA among patients are reported in the different past studies like poor cognitive abilities, psychomotor impairment - a state where a person's muscular coordination weakens and increased risk of accidents on roads (American Thoracic Society, 1994).

Research Question

What is the effect of obstructive sleep apnea on the patients of type II diabetes?

Discussion

Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2010, www.nhlbi.nih.gov), millions of Americans are victims of obstructive sleep apnea. Another research conducted from National sleep foundation (2011, www.sleepfoundation.org), shows that more than 47 million adults in America are victims of obstructive sleep apnea. This is most common in overweight persons. An overweight person has a high probability of developing diabetes, especially the type II diabetes. This makes the cross-sectional association between sleep apnea and type II diabetes. A research in this behavior conducted by Reichmuth et al. (2005), found that diabetes in more prevalent in patients of sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. However, the research did not clearly establish that causal relationship of diabetes with obstructive sleep apnea. This disorder of sleep is as frequent as type 2 diabetes occurs among patients.

Effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Type II Diabetes

OSA is largely prevailing disease in type II diabetes patients, and ...