Masked Marvels: Why Treating Sleep Apnea Helps Diabetes

Written by:
Karen Barrow -

Published on: March 17, 2005

Treatment for diabetes usually involves insulin injections or pills to control blood sugar levels. But a study shows that for some people with diabetes, a therapy that helps treat a serious, but common, sleep disorder can also help keep your blood sugar levels in check.

The study, published on February 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment for sleep apnea, improves insulin resistance and, as a result, blood sugar levels in patients who have both sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes.

"There clearly appears to be an association with sleep apnea and diabetes," said study author James Herdegen, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "There are [overlapping] risk factors for both conditions. For example, if you're obese, you'll be at risk for both sleep apnea and diabetes."