Obstructive sleep apnea increases risk for diabetes even in high-risk patients

Females with obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes than those with only obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome, according to an abstract presented at SLEEP.

“Both PCOS and obstructive sleep apnea are independently associated with obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It was unknown if women with both diagnoses had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes relative to women with PCOS but no obstructive sleep apnea,” Jill L. Kaar, PhD, associate professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and colleagues wrote.

The researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of 600 females aged 11 to 21 years who were overweight or obese based on their BMI and had been diagnosed with PCOS in the past 5 years.

Kaar and colleagues found that 54 of the females were diagnosed with PCOS (mean age, 15.2 years) and type 2 diabetes (mean age, 15.1 years).

In addition, more of the patients with PCOS/type 2 diabetes had obstructive sleep apnea than those with only PCOS (32% vs. 17%). The odds were greater that females with PCOS and obstructive sleep apnea would be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes vs. those who only had PCOS (OR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.18-4.06).

Females with obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes than those with only obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome.

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“Providers are strongly encouraged to screen their obese PCOS patients for obstructive sleep apnea to identify those at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Future work is needed to determine if treating obstructive sleep apnea decreases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in girls with PCOS,” researchers wrote. – by Janel Miller

Reference:

Kaar JL, et al. Past medical history of obstructive sleep apnea predicts the development of type 2 diabetes in obese girls within 2 years of diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Presented at: SLEEP 2019; June 8-12, San Antonio

Disclosures: Healio Primary Care was unable to determine the authors’ relevant financial disclosures prior to publication.