Sleep Apnea Linked with Diabetes, Endocrine Disorder

New research recently presentedat the 86th Annual Meeting of TheEndocrine Society on 40 women withpolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)showed that those with sleep apneamay be at more risk for developingdiabetes. PCOS is a femaleendocrine disorder that affects asmany as 5% to 10% of reproductive-agedwomen. Symptoms of this condition,which ups a woman's risk ofdeveloping diabetes and cardiovasculardisease, include excess hairgrowth, irregular menstruation, andcentral body obesity.

Researcher Esra Tasali, MD, concluded,"Sleep apnea appears to increasethe incidence of hyperinsulinemia[abnormally high levels of insulinin an individual's blood] in women withPCOS. These findings indicate thatwomen with PCOS who suffer fromsleep apnea should be closely monitoredfor the development of diabetes."