added 7/2/2010
An association between untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insulin resistance has been known for some time. A recent article to be published in the journal Diabetes attempts to help explain why this connection exists.
The researchers took a group of 20 healthy men, and subjected them to varying degrees of mild sleep deprivation (such as can be seen in patients with untreated OSA). Sensitivity to insulin was monitored.
The results of the study showed a strong correlation between moderate sleep deprivation and insulin resistance, one of the leading factors felt to contribute to adult onset diabetes mellitus.
For more information, please click on the title of the article above to be directed to the abstract of the article on PubMed.
