A study released last year indicated that sleep apnea could increase the risk of getting diabetes by up to 30%. It’s important to note that the observational study of sleep apnea and diabetes is ongoing. There are no definitive answers as of yet that prove conclusively that sleep apnea patients will develop diabetes.
However, the links are there and show that there is some sort of observable, scientific connection. Now, is this connection or correlation? In this post, we’ll discuss both sleep apnea and diabetes as well as the study that has continued this discussion.
Sleep apnea patients frequently experience periodic gasping or snorting noises, during which they may stop breathing momentarily up to 50 times or more per night. People with sleep apnea experience excessive daytime sleepiness and drowsiness. A person can get a full nights sleep but wake up tired and groggy because of an inadequate lack of air intake. Regular interruption of breathing and the obstruction of the breathing airways can pose serious health complications. A person who suspects they may have sleep apnea should seek a health care provider immediately.
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes your breathing to stop or get very shallow. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, this may occur 30 times or more an hour.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. It causes your airways to collapse or become blocked during sleep. Normal breathing starts again with a snort or choking sound. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
You are more at risk for sleep apnea if you are overweight, male, or have a family history of this disorder. Children with enlarged tonsils may also be more susceptible.
Doctors can diagnose sleep apnea based on the following factors: medical family history, a physical exam, and the results of an individual sleep study.
When your sleep is interrupted throughout the night, you can be drowsy during the day. People with sleep apnea are at higher risk for car crashes, work-related accidents, and other medical problems. If you have this disorder it is important to get treatment. Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices can treat sleep apnea in many people. - NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there are an estimated 858,900 Canadian adults 18 and older who reported they have sleep apnea.
The Public Health Agency of Canada funded the 2009 Canadian Community Health Survey. This survey conducted by Statistics Canada interviewed 9,523 Canadians 12 years and older. Sleep apnea patients were found to be 2.5 times more likely to report diabetic concerns.
Type 1 diabetes also known as juvenile diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. People with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, a hormone that converts sugar into energy needed for daily life activities. A physician will prescribe insulin therapy to help a person deal with this disease. People can lead healthy lives with a proper health regimen.
Diabetes is when a persons blood glucose sugar levels rise higher than normal. People with Type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin. The pancreas produces insulin that controls your blood sugar levels. Excess blood glucose levels may damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
Patients who have sleep apnea are vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes. Adult males who are obese, or smokers are often at risk for developing this sleep disorder.
A few people are able to control type 2 diabetes with a change in diet and exercise. A doctor may have to prescribe oral medications or insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels. Certain racial groups are more susceptible to diabetes, afro americans, latinos, native americans, pacific islanders and asian americans are all at risk.
A Public Health Agency of Canada published a 2011 Diabetes in Canada study. Details from the study revealed the following:
The largest study to date linking sleep apnea and diabetes of more than 8,500 patients confirms earlier evidence from shorter follow up periods. Dr. Richard Leung an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and director at the sleep laboratory at Saint Michael’s Hospital Richard Leon conducted a study on this topic. There has been a plethora of similar smaller studies over the years but never to the extent of Dr. Leung’s study.
The sleep apnea and diabetes link has never been proven as conclusive in studies done in the past. The magnitude of Dr. Leung’s study dwarfs previous sleep apnea and diabetic smaller studies from the past. Sleep apnea is most often associated with obesity in men on a larger number average of cases. People with diabetes are often at risk for obesity and vice versa. The large study conducted by Doctor Richard Leung took into consideration factors like obesity, historia cardiac disease, age, sex, socioeconomic status and if a person smoke or not. All factors in the study were controlled statistically, making this a first time ever break through study.
Dr. Leung and his research team still found a 30% high correlation between severe sleep apnea and patients developing diabetes during the follow up period of 10 years. This study showed a clear indication of causation. This observational study is the most accurate to date when it comes to the mechanisms applicable to the group in question. A longitudinal study that spans 10 years is not definitive in proving that sleep apnea leads to diabetes. Future studies will be able to prove without a doubt if sleep apnea is the main culprit for type 2 diabetes.
There is enough accumulative evidence today that patients who have newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should also be screened for sleep apnea. Family history and the evidence of obesity are strong indicators for people at risk.- summary excerpt from interview fromSleepBetter.tv
Richard Leung, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and the Director of the Sleep Laboratory at St. Michael's H
-Data provided by Public Health Agency of Canada
Physicians should be aware that symptoms for sleep apnea may go hand in hand with the development of Type 2 diabetes. Diet, exercise and weight loss have been shown effective in dealing with sleep apnea. CPAP therapy is an option - but there are alternatives to CPAP. If you suspect you have sleep apnea come see us. We are here to help.
Dr. Michael Layton is a graduate of University of Washington Doctor of Dental Surgery program and completed his orthodontic residency in 2009. He enjoys providing the highest standard of ideal dentistry across multiple disciplines, including dental sleep medicine. You can follow him on Google+ or 'Like' Peace Arch Dental Centre on Facebook.
Modern day braces are now commonplace even though the earliest recordings date back to ancient Egypt. Many ancient cultures have embraced some method of teeth straightening. People throughout history have always desired straight teeth. Becoming educated about the history of orthodontic braces will give you a greater appreciation for your dental health.
Orthodontic treatment was once considered purely cosmetic but there is much more to it than that. Filling in the gaps or spaces of people who have missing or no teeth goes beyond trying to look pretty. Orthodontic braces and implants can correct future periodontal problems, tooth loss and gum disease. Children’s periodontal problems are best corrected early on in life. How many times have you observed adults who have misaligned teeth or the absence of them? If only more people had access to a Doctor of Dental Surgery who could have recommended a prescribed orthodontic treatment, more people would experience optimum dental health.
Orthodontic braces can preserve a patient's existing teeth, this is accomplished by attaching a dental bridge to the existing teeth. By equally distributing the pressure on all teeth when a person chews food the teeth and jaw bone are maintained.
Orthodontics is a field of dentistry that specializes in treating patients with malocclusions responsible for improper bites. The etymology of orthodontics comes from the Greek orthos, meaning to “straighten, perfect or proper” and dontos, means “teeth”. Orthodontics also includes cosmetic dentistry, when a patient seeks to improve their aesthetic appearance.
Orthodontists use braces, headgears and other medical devices to correct improper biting.
An orthodontist is a dental specialist who diagnoses the prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. To become an orthodontist a student must first attend college before completing a 4 year graduate program, at a recognized dental school or university, accredited by the Canadian Dental Association. In order for anyone to practice orthodontics at the level of the specialty, an additional residential program from 2 to 4 years must then be completed in the field of orthodontics.
Dentists trained in orthodontics are very necessary in the fight against gum disease and dental bone problems. The most common dental problems orthodontists deal with are the following:
Modern day braces have come a long way from their ancient origins. The earliest recorded history of orthodontics dates back to ancient Egypt and Greece. The first treatment of an irregular tooth was recorded by Celsus (25 bc-ad 50), a Roman writer, who said, “If a second tooth should happen to grow in children before the first has fallen out, that which ought to be shed is to be drawn out and the new one daily pushed toward its place by means of the finger until it arrives at its just proportion.” The first mechanical treatment was advocated by Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), he suggested the filing of elongated teeth to bring them into proper alignment.
Dating back to 400-300 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle discussed various ways to straighten teeth for the ideal smile. Archaeologists have discovered on expeditions the use of Catgut, an ancient dental cord found on mummified remains, made from animal intestines. Metal bands have also been found wrapped around teeth. Dental appliances have also been found among the Etruscans, who buried their dead in place to maintain the space between their teeth. Early A.D. Romans have been found with a gold ligature wire in their teeth. These are some of the earliest examples of ligature braces.
An American dentist by the name of Josiah Flagg of Boston proclaimed “assisting nature in the extension of the jaws, for the beautiful arrangement of the second set of teeth.” It was Etienne Bourdet (1722-1789), who argued that extraction of the first bicuspids prevented overcrowding in the mouth. Ettienne also proved that misaligned teeth could be gradually moved, when attached threads to ivory splints, could be shifted in the mouth.
Fast forward to the Middle Ages from the 5th to the 15th centuries to the 18th century. Advancement in dental technology was stagnant in the middle ages or the dark ages as some people refer to this time period. The Vatican had a large part to play in suppressing the progression of the sciences. In France, students of dentistry were supposed to have been admitted as early as 1580. Pierre Dionis (1658 - 1718) called dentists “operators for the teeth”. He also stated that they could “open or widen the teeth when they are set too close together.”
Malocclusion were originally called “irregularities” of the teeth, and the correction of teeth was called “regulating.”
France in the 18th century was the leading country in Europe in the field of dentistry. Pierre Fauchard (1678 - 1761) has been referred to as the “Father of Modern Day Dentistry”. Etienne Bourdet (1722-1789) dentist to the king of France was on record for extracting premolars to relieve overcrowding in the mouth. This 17th century dentist was on the cutting edge of dental technology at the time.
John Hunter (1771) wrote a book called The Natural History of the Human Teeth. Although not a dentist John Hunter was an English anatomist and surgeon. He presented detailed notes and observations classifying the teeth, and orthopedic principles. He described normal occlusion, he gave the individual teeth their specific names i.e. cuspidati and bicuspidati. He also described the development of the jaws based on scientific investigation. Additional notes for this book were provided for Francis C. Webb M.D. F.L.S. and Robert T. Hume, M.R.C.S. F.L.S.
Thankfully, orthodontics, like many fields has come along way since the days of the Ancient Greeks to John Hunter. To find out about the latest in orthodontic treatment, give us a call or send us an appointment request. We’ll be happy to have you in for a complimentary consultation.
Dr. Michael Layton is a graduate of University of Washington Doctor of Dental Surgery program and completed his orthodontic residency in 2009. He enjoys providing the highest standard of ideal dentistry across multiple disciplines, including orthodontics. You can follow him on Google+ or 'Like' Peace Arch Dental Centre on Facebook.
