People with both type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) face a heightened risk of death.
However, new research presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) suggests that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment may reduce that risk by 26%.
The study found that obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that blocks the airway and disrupts sleep, leading to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
An estimated 50–80% of adults with T2D also have OSA, most undiagnosed. CPAP therapy involves wearing a mask that provides steady air pressure to keep the airway open during sleep. CPAP users with T2D experienced a 26% reduction in all-cause mortality over 14 years.
Researchers from Linköping University analyzed data from five Swedish national registers from 2010–2024, examining 12,388 T2D patients with OSA on CPAP therapy and comparing them to 737,911 T2D patients not prescribed CPAP (some of whom may have undiagnosed OSA).
After adjusting for age, sex, cardiovascular disease, BMI, smoking, and other health factors, the analysis found significantly improved survival outcomes in the CPAP group.
The death rates in CPAP group was 6.1% (764 deaths) and in non-CPAP group was 28.7% (212,336 deaths).
While promising, this observational study has limitations such as lack of adherence data, potential selection bias, and no data on OSA severity. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm causality and determine how effectiveness varies across patient profiles.
Still, this study emphasizes the potential role of CPAP in improving long-term health outcomes for people with T2D and highlights the importance of routine screening for sleep apnea in this population.
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