
Sleep Apnea and Diabetes
§ Estimates suggest that up to 40% of people with sleep apnea will have diabetes.
§ Weight gain plays a significant role in causing sleep apnea and hence diabetes. Fatty deposits build up along the throat and line the breathing passages. Consequently the muscles in this region slacken during sleep, forcing the airway to narrow and often close altogether.
§ Excess weight interferes with insulin’s ability to propel sugars from digested food across the cell membrane, robbing the cells of needed energy. When glucose builds up in the bloodstream and can’t be utilized by the body, diabetes is caused.
§ Studies have shown that at least 31% of people with apnea unknowingly suffered from adult- onset diabetes.
§ Someone afflicted with both diabetes and sleep apnea is more likely to suffer a stroke in the future.