Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 15, 2026

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes
07:22

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes

Published on: March 7, 2025

Sleep apnoea in children with diabetes mellitus: effect of glycaemic control

M P Villa1, G Multari, M Montesano

  • 1II Paediatric Clinic, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.

Diabetologia
|July 25, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Children with diabetes show early signs of compromised respiratory control during sleep, linked to disease duration and blood sugar levels. This suggests a need for early screening in pediatric diabetes management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and abnormal ventilatory patterns are common in adult diabetes mellitus.
  • Data on these sleep-related changes in children with diabetes are limited.
  • Diabetic neuropathy may be associated with autonomic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate ventilatory dysfunction during sleep in young children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
  • To determine if ventilatory dysfunction is present in diabetic children with or without neuropathy.
  • To explore the relationship between autonomic changes, diabetes duration, and glycemic control.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 25 children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (mean age 7.72 years) and 20 age-matched healthy controls.
  • Collected HbA1c data over the preceding year for glycemic control assessment.
  • Conducted overnight polysomnography for both diabetic patients and control subjects.

Main Results:

  • Diabetic children exhibited a higher prevalence and longer duration of sleep apneas compared to controls.
  • Poor glycemic control was significantly associated with more frequent apneas (p < 0.0001).
  • Respiratory events during sleep correlated with diabetes duration (r = 0.430, p = 0.04) and glycemic control (r = 0.360, p = 0.09).

Conclusions:

  • Respiratory control is compromised early in childhood diabetes.
  • These respiratory anomalies are closely linked to diabetes duration and glycemic control.
  • Simpler screening methods for ventilatory control could aid early detection of adverse cardiopulmonary reactions in pediatric diabetes.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital12:08

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital

Published on: June 11, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Hypoglycemia01:26

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL. It commonly occurs in individuals using insulin or insulin-secreting drugs, but may also arise in non-diabetic conditions. People with type 1 diabetes are at the highest risk because they depend on exogenous insulin. People with type 2 diabetes are also at risk, especially when treated with insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas, which increase insulin release regardless of blood glucose levels. It develops when insulin levels exceed...
Sleep Apnea01:21

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops intermittently during sleep, often leading to significant health issues. Each episode can last from 10 to 20 seconds or more and is frequently accompanied by a brief arousal from sleep. This disturbance, largely unnoticed by the individual, can lead to severe daytime fatigue. Commonly, individuals seek help after being informed by their partners about loud snoring and noticeable breathing pauses during sleep.
The condition is more prevalent among...
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications01:15

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is based on...
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects01:16

Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects

Insulin-replacement therapy usually includes both long-acting insulin (basal) and short-acting insulin (to cater to postprandial needs). In a diverse group of type 1 diabetes patients, the average daily insulin dose is typically 0.5-0.7 units/kg body weight. However, obese patients and pubertal adolescents may need more due to insulin resistance.
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...