|
Sleep Apnea Linked to Diabetic Retinopathy
|
|
|
By Kalia Doner
|
Health Insider - Diabetes May 20, 2009
|
 |
According
to
new research presented at the American Thoracic Society's 105th
International Conference in San Diego on May 19, people with diabetes
who have retinopathy should also be screened for obstructive sleep
apnea (OSA).
Researchers reported that retinopathy was present in more than half of
patients with diabetes who had OSA, compared to fewer than a third of
those without OSA (independent of the effects of glucose control, age,
weight,
hypertension, and the duration of the diabetes).
In the study, OSA had a stronger link with retinopathy than did glucose
control or high blood pressure. Symptoms of possible OSA include
snoring, apneas (stopping breathing), and daytime sleepiness.
The next step is to determine whether the treatment for OSA--wearing a
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when sleeping--can delay the
development or progression of diabetic retinopathy. Read more about the link between sleep apnea and diabetic retinopathy (exit site, EurekAlert!).
|
|
|
|
|
|