Sleep Apnea in Pregnant Women Increases the Risk of Diabetes and Hypertension

Posted on December 27, 2007 in Latest News

A study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference found that sleep apnea in pregnant women is linked with an increased risk of pregnancy induced diabetes and hypertension.

Result of the study:

• The researchers analyzed a huge data of pregnant women with sleep apnea, gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension. The study found that out of 4 million deliveries, 452 women had sleep apnea. Out of 167,227 women with gestational diabetes, 67 women had sleep apnea. Out 200,902 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension, 166 had sleep apnea.
• When the researchers studied the weight of pregnant women, they found that sleep apnea is linked to doubling the risk of gestational diabetes and a fourfold increase in the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Hatim Youssef, a researcher and D.O. of UMDNJ, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, said: “The repetitive decrease in oxygen that occurs during the night in someone with sleep apnea heightens the body’s ‘fight or flight’ state, which can raise blood pressure. The body also secretes more hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, and the body responds by producing more glucose coupled with a decreased sensitivity to insulin, which can lead to diabetes.”

Mr. Youssef emphasized the point that pregnant women with diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure should be treated immediately for the presence of sleep apnea. Adding to it he said: “When a mother’s oxygen level drops at night, it may also affect the oxygen level of the fetus, and we don’t know what the long-term effects are… It is not yet known whether CPAP treatment can reduce the risk of diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy… In the future, we want to follow pregnant women whose sleep apnea is well-controlled to see if treatment prevents them from developing these conditions, or makes it less severe.”

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