Researchers have found a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a new study presented at this week's American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in Boston.
The researchers noted that the association between OSA and type 2 diabetes is well-established, but that, until now, there wasn't similar evidence of an existing link between OSA and type 1diabetes.
The study included 90 patients with type 1 diabetes. More than 40% (39 out of 90) of these patients were found to have OSA defined by an index of apneas/hypopneas (IAH) greater than 10 per hour, and 20% of patients (18/90) were diagnosed as having severe OSA (IAH more than 30 per hour).
The authors reported that patients with OSA were older (55 ± 12 years compared with 49 ± 12 years [p < 0.05]) and had a longer diabetes duration (33 ± 14 years compared with 25 ± 14 years [p < 0.05]) for non-OSA patients. The condition was diagnosed by nocturnal polysomnography (n = 54) or respiratory polygraphy (n = 36).
Laurent Meyer, MD, of CHRU Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France, was the lead author of the study.
