More than 6 in 10 hospitalized diabetics have obstructive sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is common among hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), afflicting over 60 percent of this patient population, a recent China study has found.

The study included 735 hospitalized adult T2DM patients, of whom 309 (mean age 58.2 years, 67.3 percent men) had successfully completed overnight polysomnography in accordance with techniques outlined in the 2012 American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines. Outcomes were the type of apnoeas, severity of OSAS, and associated risk factors.

A total of 205 participants were found to have OSAS, defined as having an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥5/h, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 66.3 percent. Meanwhile, moderate-to-severe (AHI ≥15/h) and severe (AHI ≥30h) OSAS were detected in 35.6 percent and 16.5 percent of participants, respectively.

In terms of apnoea type, researchers found that central and mixed apnoea could account for around 12 percent of all the sleep-disordered breathing detected by polysomnography. The overall prevalence of central, mixed, and obstructive apnoea, combined with OSAS aggravation was 70 percent.

Aside from a significantly higher AHI (p<0.001), patients with OSAS likewise showed higher oxygen desaturation index (23.43 vs 4.42 events/h; p<0.001). They were also more likely to self-report snoring (79.5 percent vs 65.7 percent; p=0.008) and have a higher number of diabetes complications (p=0.002).

“We strongly suggest the development of strategies and guidelines for endocrinologists to carry out OSAS screening, diagnosis and treatment during their routine practice for this category of patients,” the researchers said.