Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome in the Elderly

Introduction: Older people with sleep disturbances also have other chronic pathologies that may interfere with these disturbances. One of the comorbidities that is frequently present is type 2 diabetes. Objective: This research aims to find out whether type 2 diabetes mellitus present in elderly people affects the level of severity of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on a sample of 134 elderly people who attended the Sleep Unit of Andalusia's Door Hospital in Jaen, who were diagnosed with OSAS and classified according to severity. A total of 34 participants had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus at the time of the study. Results: There were significant differences in the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome between participants with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus, with the former having higher scores (p < 0.01). Participants with a BMI that classified them as obese had more severe apnoea than those with a normal weight at the time of the study (p = 0.043). Discussion: This study, focused exclusively on older adults, demonstrates an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and a greater severity of OSAS. Using polysomnography (PSG) as the gold standard, we identified a significant relationship between obesity and severe OSAS. Furthermore, the connection between OSAS, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and CPAP use highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach in this population.