OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA AND DIABETES-MELLITUS - THE ROLE OF CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY

Knowledge of conditions associated with an increased prevalence of obs tructive sleep apnoea (OSA) mag help to identify patients with OSA and might give some insight into the pathogenesis of OSA and its sequelae , A number of earlier, smaller studies hinted at an association betwee n diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (AN) and OSA. The prese nt study was, therefore, conducted with the aim of establishing the pr evalence of OSA in diabetics with AN and of determining whether OSA is more prevalent in diabetics with AN, than ha those without, We studie d two groups of diabetic patients: 23 with and 25 without AN, All pati ents were evaluated for possible OSA (apnoeal/hypopnoea index greater than or equal to 10) using initial ambulatory screening followed by po lysomnography, Six patients with AN (26%) were found to have OSA, bat none of the patients without AN met the diagnostic criteria (p<0.001). When the patients with OSA were compared to those without, no differe nces were found in terms of age, sex, body mass index or diabetes type or duration, In conclusion, about one in four diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy suffers from OSA. Thus, obstructive sleep apnoea is more prevalent in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy, than in those without.