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No link between CPAP and glycemic control, study says

No link between CPAP and glycemic control, study says

MELBOURNE, Australia - CPAP therapy may not improve glycemic control for people with Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea after all, according to a new study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“Some uncontrolled studies have reported improved glucose control after starting CPAP, but some small controlled trials did not support this,” said lead study author Jonathan Shaw, head of population health at Melbourne's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, in a release.

Researchers in Australia and the U.S. randomly assigned 298 patients with “relatively well-controlled” Type 2 diabetes and newly diagnosed OSA to treat their sleep apnea with CPAP or receive usual care.

After three and six months, researchers found no difference between the two groups in glycated hemoglobin; however, daytime sleepiness improved significantly among CPAP users. Overall, the quality of life between the two groups was not statistically significant.

“OSA is common in people with Type 2 diabetes, and although we did not find a glycemic benefit for its treatment, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for its presence when patients experience daytime sleepiness, snoring and resistant hypertension,” said Shaw.

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