SEATTLE — Treating obstructive sleep apnea in patients with type 2 diabetes may improve glycemic control, according to observational study results.
The study of 54 patients with type 2 diabetes indicated that blood glucose levels may be harder to control in cases of untreated OSA, Dr. Renee Simon Aronsohn reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Results showed that mean glycocylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) rose significantly when patients had OSA, she said.
Dr. Aronsohn, an endocrinology fellow at the University of Chicago, and colleagues enrolled 54 patients seen in outpatient clinics during 2000-2008 who had physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes and were on stable doses of medication. A total of 29 patients (54%) were women, and 29 (54%) were black.
Overall, 76% of the patients had OSA, which was classified as mild in 35%, moderate in 26%, and severe in 15%. Compared with their counterparts without OSA, patients with OSA, on average, were older (60 years vs. 53 years), had a higher body mass index (35 kg/m
In a multivariate analysis that adjusted for potential confounders, mean HbA1c increased significantly across OSA categories, with values of 6.5%, 7.5%. 7.8%, and 8.7% among patients with no, mild, moderate, and severe OSA, respectively.
The results of studies on continuous positive airway pressure treatment and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes have been confounded by compliance issues, she noted. “So, our next step is looking at how treatment affects control,” said Dr. Aronsohn, who reported having no conflicts of interest.