IDF Urges Healthcare Providers to Address the Relationship Between Type 2
Diabetes and Sleep Apnea
Treating These Closely-Related Conditions Requires New Clinical Practices and
Research to Reduce Personal and Public Health Costs
SAN FRANCISCO and BRUSSELS, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The International
Diabetes Federation (IDF) Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention warned
today that recent research demonstrates that type 2 diabetes and obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA) are closely related, and that both disorders have
significant implications on public health and on individuals. These were the
conclusions of a meeting of diabetes and sleep experts who examined the
impacts of untreated OSA, the most common form of sleep disordered breathing.
The resulting IDF statement was released in a presentation at the American
Diabetes Association (ADA) 68th Annual Scientific Sessions and in an article
published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice[1].
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080602/306819 )
"While type 2 diabetes is recognized as a serious global epidemic, the
severe health consequences of untreated sleep apnea, especially in people
with diabetes, are not. Health policy makers and the general public must be
made aware of the link between type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea so that we can
begin to address the significant economic burden and debilitating health
consequences to both individuals and the community," said Professor Paul
Zimmet, Foundation Director of the International Diabetes Institute in
Melbourne, Australia and co-chair of the IDF Task Force on Epidemiology and
Prevention. "Today's statement is an urgent call to action to the medical
community. It is imperative that we better understand the relationship
between diabetes and sleep apnea through research and establish appropriate
standards of care for managing diabetes and co-morbidities such as sleep
apnea."
Recent studies show that OSA is common in people with diabetes: estimates
suggest that up to 40% of people with OSA have diabetes[2,3]. However further
research is needed in this area in order to strengthen the evidence base
between diabetes and OSA.
Additionally, both conditions have tremendous economic implications.
While the annual costs of diabetes alone amount to USD170 billion in the
United States[4], and to at least ID (International Dollars) 16 billion, 15
billion and 6 billions in Japan, China and India respectively[5], he
estimated annual medical costs of OSA are much harder to define.
Professor Sir George Alberti, co-chair of the IDF Task Force and former
President of IDF said that although the mechanisms linking OSA with diabetes
are not yet fully understood, the consequences of both conditions cannot be
ignored. It has been shown that the prevalence of CVD increases progressively
with the increasing severity of OSA and that people with diabetes and/or OSA
face serious cardiovascular problems and earlier death. Undiagnosed OSA may
interfere with lifestyle treatment for diabetes. IDF therefore strongly
recommends that healthcare professionals working in both type 2 diabetes and
sleep disorders are educated about the links between the two conditions and
encouraged to adopt clinical practices to ensure that a person presenting
with one condition is considered for the other.
The IDF Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention statement includes
recommendations for screening, treatment and further research. While people
with OSA should be routinely screened for metabolic disease and type 2
diabetes as screening tests are inexpensive and easy to conduct, people with
diabetes should be screened for OSA particularly when they present classical
symptoms such as witnessed apneas, heavy snoring or daytime sleepiness and
poor workplace performance.
Recommendations for treatment of OSA include weight reduction in
overweight and obese people, reduction in alcohol intake and CPAP treatment.
Although further research is needed, the treatment of OSA may improve
glycaemic control and will certainly benefit people as it improves their
quality of life, blood pressure control and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Note to Editors
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization
of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries, representing over
250 million people with diabetes, their families, and their healthcare
providers. The mission of IDF is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a
cure worldwide. Its main activities include education for people with
diabetes and healthcare professionals, public awareness campaigns and the
promotion and exchange of information. IDF is a non-governmental organization
in official relations with WHO and associated to the United Nations'
Department of Public Information. For more information, please visit
http://www.idf.org.
The meeting of diabetes and sleep experts was funded by the ResMed
Foundation, a private charitable foundation whose primary mission is to
promote research, as well as public and physician awareness about the
importance of sleep and respiratory health throughout the world. The
Foundation, founded in 2002, is a private charitable 501 (c) (3) foundation
organized under United States Law. The Foundation promotes research for
publication in appropriate peer-reviewed scientific and medical publications.
It was not involved in the writing, review or approval of the IDF consensus
statement. More information is available on http://www.resmedfoundation.org/.
About Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common
form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which has been highlighted as a
major public health problem on a level equivalent to that of tobacco smoking.
Untreated SDB can lead to such life-threatening diseases as diabetes, obesity
and cardiovascular disease, in particular hypertension, coronary artery
disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation, as well as traffic and
workplace accidents.
References
[1] Shaw JE, Punjabi NM, Wilding JP, Alberti G, Zimmet PZ:
Sleep-disordered breathing and type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Res Clinical Pract
81(1), 2008.
[2] Meslier N, Gagnadoux F, Giraud P, Person C, Ouksel H, Urban T,
Racineux JL: Impaired glucose-insulin metabolism in males with obstructive
sleep apnoea syndrome. Eur Respir J22(1): 156-160, 2003.
[3] Elmasry A, Lindberg E, Berne C, Janson C, Gislason T, Awad Tageldin
M, Boman G: Sleep-disordered breathing and glucose metabolism in hypertensive
men: a population-based study. J Intern Med 249(2): 153-161, 2001.
[4] American Diabetes Association, website accessed
16/05/2008http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/cost-of-diabetes-in-us.jsp
[5] Diabet es Atlas, third edition. International Diabetes Federation,
2006
Contacts:
Anne Pierson, IDF
Office: +32-2-5431623
Mobile: +32-475-343788
Email:media@idf.org
Kerrita McClaughlyn, IDF
Office: +32-2-5431639
Mobile: +32-487-530625
Email: media@idf.org
Marites Cristobal, Edelman
Office: +1-323-202-1427
Mobile: +1-415-819-2214
Email: marites.Cristobal@edelman.com
SOURCE International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
Contacts: Anne Pierson, IDF, Office: +32-2-5431623, Mobile: +32-475-343788,
Email:media@idf.org; Kerrita McClaughlyn, IDF, Office: +32-2-5431639, Mobile:
+32-487-530625, Email: media@idf.org; Marites Cristobal, Edelman, Office:
+1-323-202-1427, Mobile: +1-415-819-2214, Email:
marites.Cristobal@edelman.com
