Helping others sleep better every night!
From the category archives:
Disruption of two genes that control circadian rhythms can lead to diabetes, a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found in an animal study. Mice with defective copies of the genes, called CLOCK and BMAL1, develop abnormalities in pancreatic cells that eventually render the cells unable to release sufficient amounts of insulin.
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Sleep apnea has long been known to be associated with obesity, but a study published in the June 2009 issue of Diabetes Care finds the disorder is widely undiagnosed among obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, showing nearly 87 percent of participants reported symptoms, but were never diagnosed.
For those with untreated sleep apnea, it doesn’t just mean their sleep is disrupted; existing research shows that it can also mean an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
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People with a habit of getting in a power nap during lunch could increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to the findings of a research study being presented this week at in Glasgow, Scotland.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham looked at the napping habits of 16,480 people and found that diabetes prevalence increased with napping frequency, and those who napped had a 26 percent greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who never napped.
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A new report suggests treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10-to-12 percent lower medical costs per month.
While the findings are encouraging, the study was not designed to firmly establish cause-and-effect, said George Taylor, University of Michigan associate professor of dentistry, who also has an appointment in epidemiology in the U–M School of Public Health. Taylor led the research project to investigate whether routine, non-surgical treatment for gum disease is linked to lower medical care costs for diabetics.
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A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests screening patients with Type 2 diabetes for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and treating those who have obstructive sleep apnea with xPAP therapy could improve the management of their hyperglycemia and might favorably influence their long-term prognosis.
According to Arthur Dawson, M.D., Scripps Clinic Sleep Center, it is not surprising that many diabetics have sleep apnea since Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea are both conditions that are becoming much more common because of the obesity epidemic.
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A press release issued by the American Association of Diabetes Educators says that 94 percent of doctors in a survey the organization conducted were aware of the links between the development of type 2 diabetes in people who have obstructive sleep apnea.
Despite knowing about the link, only about 47 percent of the physicians involved in the survey actually conduct routine screenings.
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