Obstructive sleep apnoea is common in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity and is often missed. Brief screening tools such as STOP-Bang take a minute and identify those who need a sleep study.
Treatment with positive airway pressure improves sleepiness and quality of life, and weight loss reduces severity. Drowsy driving is the safety question that should not be skipped.
- Ask about loud snoring, witnessed pauses, unrefreshing sleep and daytime sleepiness.
- Record neck circumference, BMI and blood pressure, all part of STOP-Bang.
- Ask about drowsy driving in anyone who screens positive.
- Resistant hypertension or nocturia in a person with obesity should raise suspicion.
Why it matters
Sleep apnoea is common and under-diagnosed in type 2 diabetes, and treating it improves sleepiness and driving safety.
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