Patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension must be evaluated for sleep apnea

Sufferers very likely to have obstructive sleep apnea, will benefit from treatment

2013-06-03

(Press-News.org) Baltimore - The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is advising anyone with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension to be evaluated for sleep apnea by a board-certified sleep medicine physician. The recommendation comes as the group of international clinicians and researchers meets in Baltimore for SLEEP 2013, the foremost gathering of sleep experts annually.

Overwhelming clinical evidence has shown that patients suffering from two very common illnesses – Type 2 diabetes and hypertension – are at much higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a dangerous condition characterized by episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction during sleep. Research also has shown that treating sleep apnea can help in the management of these two disorders.

"Type 2 diabetics and people with hypertension are much more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than other people, and as a result should immediately discuss their risk for sleep apnea with a sleep specialist," said M. Safwan Badr, MD, president of AASM. "Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea from a board-certified sleep medicine physician will promote improvement in these conditions – including improved insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and cholesterol."

Type 2 Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.6 million Americans aged 20 years or older suffer from diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases. Seven in 10 people with Type 2 diabetes also have obstructive sleep apnea, and the severity of the sleep disorder directly impacts diabetes symptoms; the more severe a diabetic's untreated sleep apnea, the poorer their glucose control.

"Treating sleep apnea in diabetics improves nighttime glucose levels and insulin sensitivity," said Badr. "Treatment also will provide benefits of improved sleep unrelated to diabetes – including increased alertness during the day and improved memory and cognitive function."

A recent study from the University of Chicago shows that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of sleep apnea may have as much of an effect as prescribed oral diabetes medications.

"In our study, one week of optimal CPAP use lowered average 24-hour glucose levels and improved post-breakfast glucose response in Type 2 diabetics with obstructive sleep apnea," said Esra Tasali, MD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine, pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Chicago Department of Medicine. "The dawn phenomenon, an early-morning increase in blood sugar in people who have Type 2 diabetes, also was reduced by 45 percent as a result of CPAP therapy."

Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is not limited to diabetes sufferers. A staggering 67 million Americans have high blood pressure, which is about one in every three adults. Between 30 and 40 percent of adults with high blood pressure also have sleep apnea, which is even more prevalent in those with resistant hypertension. Approximately 80 percent of patients that do not respond to hypertensive medications have sleep apnea. Seeking and adhering to sleep apnea treatment is a proven means of decreasing blood pressure.

"Evidence shows that sleep apnea treatment lowers nighttime and daytime blood pressure, with the greatest improvement in patients seeking treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea," said Badr. "The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Reducing your blood pressure lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and improves your overall health."

### Patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes or hypertension should discuss their risk for obstructive sleep apnea with a board-certified sleep medicine physician, who can oversee their diagnosis and prescribe the most appropriate treatment. The team of health care professionals at an AASM-accredited sleep center works individually with patients to ensure long-term treatment effectiveness. To find a local sleep specialist or accredited sleep center, patients can visit http://www.sleepeducation.com.

About The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is the leader in setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine. With nearly 10,000 members, the AASM is the largest professional membership society for physicians, scientists and other health care providers dedicated to sleep medicine. For more information, visit http://www.aasmnet.org.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mutations in susceptibility genes common in younger African American women with breast cancer

2013-06-03

A high percentage of African-American women with breast cancer who were evaluated at a university cancer-risk clinic were found to carry inherited genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast cancer. The finding suggests that inherited mutations may be more common than anticipated in this understudied group and may partially explain why African-Americans more often develop early onset and "triple-negative" breast cancer, an aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease. It also demonstrates the potential benefits of increased access to genetic counseling ...

Doctor's advice for cancer patients: Personal values influence treatment recommendations

2013-06-03

What treatment a doctor recommends for advanced cancer not only depends on medical aspects. His relationship to the individual patients and his own view of their life situation at their age play a role. This was found out by a research team led by Dr. Jan Schildmann of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) together with colleagues from the University of Oxford. The RUB researchers also explored how patients perceive and evaluate the information they receive for clarification and decision making. The medical ethicists report in the journals "The Oncologist" and "Annals of Oncology". One ...

Modern dragons in danger-- the relentless exploitation of Asian giant lizards revealed

2013-06-03

A new study reveals that Southeast Asian monitor lizards, representing the world's largest lizards, are harvested and traded for their skins and as pets in intangible volumes despite existing legislation – and much of this trade is illegal. Germany plays a major role in the international trade with live reptiles. On June 8th, 2013, the world's largest reptile fair will take place in Germany (Hamm, Westphalia). A team of German and Indonesian scientists recently published a first comprehensive study on the conservation and threat status of all SE-Asian species of monitor ...

A healthy start

2013-06-03

The European Perinatal Health Report released by the EURO-PERISTAT project is the most comprehensive report on the health and care of pregnant women and babies in Europe and brings together data from 2010 from 26 European Union member states, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. EURO-PERISTAT takes a new approach to health reporting. Rather than simply comparing countries on single indicators such as infant mortality, our report paints a fuller picture by presenting data about mortality, low birthweight and preterm birth alongside data about health care and maternal characteristics ...

New study predicts rising irrigation costs, reduced yields for US corn

2013-06-03

If the climate continues to evolve as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United States stands little to no chance of satisfying its current biofuel goals, according to a new study by Rice University and the University of California at Davis. The study published online in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology suggests that in 40 years, a hotter planet would cut the yield of corn grown for ethanol in the U.S. by an average of 7 percent while increasing the amount of irrigation necessary by 9 percent. That ...

Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases

2013-06-03

Scientists have taken a vital step forward in understanding how cells from skin tissue can be reprogrammed to become stem cells. New research could pave the way to generate these stem cells efficiently to better understand and develop treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and muscular degeneration. The study of how these cells – known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) – were reprogramed was led by the University of Edinburgh and is published in the journal Nature. Scientists found that the process by which iPSCs are created ...

An altered gut microbiota can predict diabetes

2013-06-03

Intestinal bacteria may have a greater influence on us than was previously thought. In a study published in the prestigious journal Nature on 29 May, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, show that patients with type 2 diabetes have an altered gut microbiota. Their findings have led to a new model to identify patients at increased risk of developing diabetes. The human body contains ten times more bacteria than human cells. Most of these bacteria comprise the normal gut microbiota. Our bodies ...

Female moths use olfactory signals to choose the best egg-laying sites

2013-06-03

This news release is available in German. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany, discovered that the ability of Manduca sexta moths to recognize changes in the profile of volatile compounds released by plants being attacked by Manduca caterpillars allows them to lay their eggs on plants that are less likely to be attacked by insects and other predators, and to avoid competing against other caterpillars of the same species for resources. The results of field experiments and neurobiological studies were now published in the open ...

Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment

2013-06-03

PULLMAN, Wash. - Lindsay Ellsworth is prescribing a new, mood-boosting therapy for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment: shelter dogs. On Friday afternoons, about four dogs from the Spokane Humane Society take a field trip to Excelsior Youth Center as a group of teenage boys eagerly await their arrival. Ellsworth, a doctoral candidate in animal sciences at Washington State University, organizes the meet-ups where participants can help brush, feed and play with the dogs. "We found one of the most robust effects of interacting with the dogs was increased joviality," ...

Hidden effects of climate change may threaten eelgrass meadows

2013-06-03

Some research has shown that the effects of changes in the climate may be weak or even non-existent. This makes it easy to conclude that climate change will ultimately have less impact than previous warnings have predicted. But it could also be explained as direct and indirect effects cancelling each other out, as scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show in a paper recently published in PNAS, the esteemed US scientific journal. To investigate how different climate impacts interact, an experiment was conducted at Kristineberg Marine Research Station. ...

Patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension must be evaluated for sleep apnea

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: