Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder that is caused by the obstruction in the upper airway and leads to regular and frequent breath interruptions. Sleep apnea is often associated with numerous medical conditions. The findings of a new research published in the European Respiratory Journal suggest that sleep apnea is significantly linked with diabetes. Thus, it has been found that people with sleep apnea very often suffer from high blood sugar levels. And, as is known, people with diabetes are at a high risk of cardiovascular complications and mortality. The results highlight the need for clinicians to know about the high risk of diabetes when treating patients with sleep apnea.

The link between elevated glucose levels and sleep apnea shows that diabetes is an important co-existing disease when treating sleep apnea conditions. To understand the mechanism behind these two conditions there is a need for further studies. Also, it has been emphasized the need for patients to be serious about weight control as it is a preliminary step to reducing the risk associated with the condition.