Diabetes and Sleep Apnea ◊ 50% of people with diabetes also have sleep apnea ◊ Untreated sleep apnea is associated with increased insulin resistance in patients with diabetes ◊ Sleep apnea treatment can improve blood sugar levels

Type 2 Diabetes

Half of all patients with diabetes also have obstructive sleep apnea and research supports the strong association between the two conditions.

Sleep Apnea Can Cause or Complicate Diabetes

Research shows that untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of diabetes by 50%. Studies indicate that sleep apnea has been linked with insulin resistance, Metabolic Syndrome and impaired glucose metabolism independent of diabetes.

For people who already have diabetes, sleep apnea can cause serious complications. Untreated sleep apnea symptoms include is associated with dramatically increased insulin resistance, which can make it difficult for patients to control their blood sugar levels with diet, exercise or drug therapy.
Independent of each other, diabetes and sleep apnea are associated with a higher risk of death. Together they pose an unacceptable risk for anyone.

To Control Your Diabetes...Treat Your Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment can be an important tool in improving diabetes management. Sleep apnea therapy has rapid results:
Research has shown significant improvements in insulin sensitivity within two nights of starting sleep apnea treatment
Therapy for sleep apnea improves average blood glucose levels after meals and significantly improves A1c levels independent of diet, exercise or drug therapy

Learn how to get tested for sleep apnea in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a Testing At Home Sleep Test.

Day Time Sleepiness and Sleep Apnea ◊ Absenteeism and poor work performance due to seriously affected health and wellbeing ◊ Untreated apnea sufferers are six times more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal accident ◊ After a short period of treatment, increased energy, improved well being and overall health

Daytime Sleepiness

Because obstructive sleep apnea prevents a good night’s rest, it leads to apnea symptoms such as chronic daytime sleepiness that can seriously affect health and well-being. Left undiagnosed and untreated, sleep apnea can lead to excessive fatigue, reduced energy and poor concentration and productivity. Even worse, daytime fatigue can greatly increase the risk of fatal traffic accidents.

Sleep Apnea Affects Your Work
Untreated sleep apnea is a leading cause of poor work performance, absenteeism and low productivity. This could lead to being overlooked for promotion or even dismissal on health grounds. Screening for sleep apnea easily identifies a treatable cause of low productivity and poor health.

Sleep Apnea Affects Your Driving
The apnea symptoms of daytime sleepiness can lead to drowsy, distracted driving—and fatal traffic accidents. Untreated sleep apnea sufferers are six times more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal traffic accident. This is especially dangerous if driving is a major part of a person’s job. For example, 30% of accidents involving commercial truck drivers are sleep related. Because sleep apnea is such a prevalent problem, many commercial truck driving companies are now requiring that their drivers be screened for sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Affects Your Quality of Life
Lower energy levels resulting from sleep apnea can impair your productivity and your ability to fully enjoy life. It can also contribute to weight gain, since having less energy makes it difficult to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Treat Your Sleep Apnea to Control Your Daytime Sleepiness
Treating sleep apnea can help manage daytime fatigue symptoms. With increased energy, people are able to get back to activities they enjoy, be more productive, improve their safety on the road and even lose weight.

Learn how to get tested for sleep apnea in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a Testing At Home Sleep Test.

Heart Conditions and Sleep Apnea ◊ Sleep apnea sufferers are five times more likely to have a fatal heart attack ◊ Sleep apnea sufferers are twice as likely to have a stroke ◊ Patients with chronic heart failure have a 50% risk of obstructive sleep apnea

Heart Conditions

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with numerous heart conditions, including heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and congestive heart failure. Untreated sleep apnea stresses the heart because it deprives the body of oxygen and restful sleep. During an apneic event—where insufficient air flows to the lungs and organs—the heart compensates by pumping harder and faster, which often causes a rise in blood pressure. Because of this, sleep apnea can have serious consequences. Research shows people with untreated sleep apnea have twice the risk of having a stroke and five times the risk of having a fatal heart attack.

Sleep and High Blood Pressure
Sleep apnea often causes a rise in blood pressure. If a person already has high blood pressure (hypertension), sleep apnea can worsen the situation. Untreated sleep apnea often makes a person more resistant to hypertensive medications making it more difficult to control the condition

Sleep and Stroke & Heart Attack
Sleep apnea can greatly increase the risk of stroke and heart attack because of its association with poor blood pressure control, impaired blood sugar control, abnormal heart rhythms and low blood oxygen levels.

Abnormal Heart Beat
Research has demonstrated a very strong association between sleep apnea and a serious heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. Untreated sleep apnea sufferers are twice as likely to have a recurrence of atrial fibrillation when compared to sleep apnea patients who were effectively treated with CPAP therapy.

Treat Your Sleep Apnea to Control Your Heart Condition
Treating sleep apnea lessens the strain on heart rate and can reduce blood pressure throughout the day
Research has shown OSA treatment benefits congestive heart failure patients
Research shows therapy also greatly decreases the risk of stroke and heart attack

Learn how to get tested for sleep apnea in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a Testing At Home Sleep Test.

Depression and Sleep Apnea ◊ A mild sleep apnea sufferer is twice as likely to have depression than someone without sleep apnea ◊ A patient with depression is five times more likely to have sleep apnea than a person without depression ◊ Because depression and sleep apnea share many common symptoms, sleep apnea is under-diagnosed in depressed patients

Depression

Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can aggravate symptoms of clinical depression. Patients suffering with undiagnosed sleep apnea may not be able to control their depression with medication alone, making it especially important that people with depression get screened for sleep apnea.

Depression and Sleep Apnea Have Common Symptoms
Depression and sleep apnea share several common symptoms, including daytime fatigue, poor concentration and reduced productivity. Both sleep apnea and depression also affect a person’s mood and attitude, with many sufferers becoming easily irritated and withdrawn. People may not take joy in activities they once liked. Due to these overlapping symptoms, sleep apnea is often misdiagnosed as depression, or not diagnosed at all.

Depression and Sleep Apnea can be a Dangerous Combination
People with depression are more likely to have a breathing-related sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Additionally, sedative and hypnotic medications occasionally prescribed to aid in sleeping can aggravate sleep apnea. These medications make it harder to wake after an apneic episode, increasing the amount of time that oxygen is not flowing through the body.

Treat Sleep Apnea and Control Your Depression
Research shows that sleep apnea treatments can significantly improve symptoms such as irritability, fatigue and a lack of concentration. With treatment, patients may be able to alleviate existing depressive symptoms and boost the effectiveness of their antidepressants.

Learn how to get tested for sleep apnea in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a Testing At Home Sleep Test.

Weight Management and Sleep Apnea ◊ Untreated sleep apnea and excess weight can produce a vicious cycle ◊ Untreated sleep apnea causes hormone fluctuations that make it difficult to regulate weight ◊ Untreated sleep apnea can negatively alter a person’s metabolism

Weight Management

Sleep apnea and weight gain are undoubtedly related. Excess weight can cause sleep apnea, and sleep apnea, in turn, can hinder a person’s ability to manage their weight.

Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain—A Dangerous Cycle
People who are overweight are much more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than those at a healthy weight. This can be due to excess fat around the neck, which causes a collapse in the airway during sleep. Research shows that a neck circumference greater than 17 inches means a person is at high risk for sleep apnea.
The more severe the sleep apnea, the more likely the patient will gain weight- a dangerous cycle. And the lack of energy associated with sleep apnea also inhibits a person’s ability to exercise and lose weight.
This can be very discouraging for an untreated sleep apnea sufferer who is trying to manage their weight.

Break the Cycle—Treat Your Sleep Apnea and Control Your Weight
Sleep apnea treatments can improve the success of weight loss efforts. Research indicates that CPAP therapy rapidly decreases the levels of hunger-inducing hormones and helps regulate appetite-controlling hormones.
With a good night’s rest, patients will have more energy to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine that is essential to manage weight, which in turn serves to alleviate sleep apnea symptoms.

Learn how to get tested for sleep apnea in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a Testing At Home Sleep Test.