Sleep and the endocrine system: new associations to old diseases

Sleep and sleep disorders play a prominent role in hormone regulation. Given that sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are thought to result from obesity, it has been assumed that when the two coexist, the diabetes was caused by the obesity. However, new data has shed light on the effects that SDB, sleep deprivation, and snoring have on glucose regulation. It now appears that in addition to causing daytime drowsiness, cardiovascular disease, mood and memory disturbances, impotence, and car wrecks, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also promotes insulin resistance. Though data is still sketchy on the optimum management of coexisting DM and OSA, large-scale studies will most likely prove that homeostatic glucose control in patients with sleep apnea will require aggressive treatment of their SDB.