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A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago has shown that obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) adversely affects glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Lead author, Renee S. Aronsohn, instructor of medicine at the University of Chicago, said that study ‘demonstrates for the first time that there is a clear, graded, inverse relationship between OSA severity and glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.’

The study also confirmed other reports that undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea is very common among patients with type 2 diabetes, indicating that it is largely unrecognized additional medical risk factor in these patients.

Dr. Aronsohn and colleagues consecutively recruited patients with type 2 diabetes from outpatient clinics to participate in the study.

The participants were interviewed to assess their diabetes history, medical history and medications, and level of physical activity.

Height and weight measurements were also taken, and each participant’s sleep/wake cycles were monitored for five days using wrist actigraphy and self-reported sleep logs.

Finally, participants underwent an overnight polysomnography test for OSA , and glucose control was assessed by obtaining a blood sample for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement, the main clinical marker of glycemic control in diabetes

In total, 60 patients were included in the study’s final analysis. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of participants had OSA, but only five had been previously evaluated for the disease, and none were undergoing treatment. Of the study sample, 38 percent (23) were classified as having mild OSA, 25 percent (15) had moderate OSA and the 13 percent (8) had severe OSA.

The researchers found that more severe OSA was associated with poorer glucose control, implying a role more severe diabetes with potentially more complications. Also preventing OSA can help with lowering your A1C and improve sex.

Relative to patients without OSA, the presence of mild, moderate or severe OSA significantly increased mean adjusted HbA1c values by 1.49 percent, 1.93 percent, and 3.69 percent respectively.

These effect sizes are comparable to those of widely used hypoglycemic medications, meaning that having OSA may negate the beneficial effects of
anti-diabetic drugs.

“Our findings have important clinical implications as they support the hypothesis that reducing the severity of OSA may improve glycemic control. Thus effective treatment of OSA may represent a novel and non-pharmacologic intervention in the management of type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Aronsohn.

The findings have been published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)

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Rising blood sugar levels are not usually associated with rising gas prices or a recession but if you take a look at the effect that the inflation of gas prices is having on our food prices, I think you’ll agree that there is a direct connection between rising gas prices raising your blood sugar.

If you know anything at all about Diabetes care you know the importance of eating a healthy diabetic friendly diet.

photo credit: size8jeans

In the same token, if you know about eating healthy diabetic friendly foods you must be buying healthy diabetic friendly foods at the grocery store.

If you are buying healthy diabetic friendly foods at the grocery store…you’re broke.

What is someone with diabetes supposed to do when they go to the grocery store on a very strict budget? Well, what they might do is start to buy sustenance that is less that diabetic friendly because that’s all they can afford. Not good.

I’m going to give you a few grocery shopping tips that will keep the rising gas prices from raising your blood sugar.

There is no way around the fact that the price of wheat and grains has tripled in the past 10 months. You could say, “ok, I’ll just cut down on the amount of products I buy that contain wheat and grains”. Really? Do you realize just how many products contain these things?

It is being estimated that because just about all of our meat/dairy sources are fed wheat and grains as their primary food source we can expect there to be a huge spike in the cost of 80% of our groceries.

So the end result of our rise in gas prices is that all of the healthy foods that diabetics need in order to maintain control of their blood sugar levels will significantly increase in price.

So keeping that in mind, I’m going to list a few tips and tricks which give some hints on how to save money at the food store on healthy foods:

photo credit: paulancheta

• There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs…but white are cheaper
• Instead of buying individual serving sizes of yogurt which can be quite expensive, buy a large container and separate into one cup servings yourself
• Instead of buying canned beans, try buying dry beans as they triple in volume when you cook them. A 1lb bag will yield 6 1cup servings when cooked.
• Stay away from individually priced snacks, a larger container and the do it yourself method will cut down on the cost in the end
• Try to buy boneless cuts of meat since you are paying a price per pound…bones add weight without being edible.
• If fresh fruit is too expensive buy frozen or canned fruit in water. If you can only get fruit packed in syrup all you have to do is rinse it before eating

These are just a few of the many, many ways for you to save money on your next grocery shopping trip. For more ideas like this you can check out a great article on the American Diabetes Association site giving even more money saving ideas.

With the nicer weather coming I recommend buying all of your vegetables from local farms. Not only is the price cheaper but you are also supporting a local farmer and you are also being “green” as you are buying a product that did not need to be shipped by any polluting means such as a diesel truck.

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Men with diabetes are twice as likely as other men to experience erectile dysfunction (ED). What’s more, they tend to develop erection problems 10 to 15 years earlier than men who don’t have diabetes. Those numbers may sound grim, but there’s hope. You can take control of your sexual health by managing your blood glucose, or blood sugar levels.

If you want to prevent erection problems or keep them from getting worse, you must control your blood sugar and get your numbers as close to normal as possible. That means diligent self-monitoring, taking any diabetes medications your doctor has prescribed, and being committed to healthy living.

The best approach is to follow a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and maintain a normal weight. Some people with diabetes are able to gain control of their blood sugar levels with lifestyle changes alone. Some may need to take medication to keep their numbers as close to normal as possible. But it’s important to keep in mind that diabetes medications work best when you make the effort to eat right and be physically active.

The Key to Success: Testing Blood Sugar Levels

If you have diabetes and take insulin you should test your blood sugar levels three or more times daily. Home blood glucose monitoring can be done fasting, before or two hours after meals, and at bedtime. Exactly how often you should test your blood sugar and at what times depends on your specific needs and what your doctor tells you to do.

When you’re trying to get your levels down to your goal, or if you are changing therapies, it’s a good idea to test more often. By testing before and after meals, in the morning, and before bed you can create a detailed picture of how your blood sugar fluctuates throughout the day. That will help your doctor tailor your treatment for the best control.

Everyone with diabetes should know his A1C score. The A1C test measures your average blood sugar levels over three months. If you haven’t been doing regular finger-sticks, this test will tell you how well you’ve been controlling your blood sugar levels.

The A1C test score is given as a percentage, ranging from 6% to 12%.

A score below 6% is normal for people without diabetes. You should aim for an A1C score of less than 7%. If you have a score any higher than that you are at higher risk for problems like erectile dysfunction. It’s best to have your level checked at least twice a year.

Even a 1% drop in your A1C score has a big impact. One of the largest studies so far on type 2 diabetes shows that people who lower their A1C score by 1% have a 35% lower risk for the kinds of complications that cause ED. One study directly linked high A1C scores to erectile dysfunction and low A1C scores to better sexual function.

If at all possible, you should aim to get your A1C score down into the range of 6% or less, where people without diabetes are. Research has shown that there’s no floor, so to speak, when it comes to the benefit of lowering A1C.

If your blood sugar levels have been out of control, you should have the test more frequently.

Another important factor is how you take your diabetes medication. Follow directions carefully and don’t skip doses. Skipping doses often results in worse blood sugar control and added complications from the diabetes. And don’t forget guys, if you want to be a tiger in the bed, check your blood sugars so you don’t end up down and out.

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