Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea—lapses in breathing during sleep—which is common in people with type 2 diabetes. But many people find the apparatus uncomfortable or irritating. As a result, 30 to 60 percent of those prescribed the treatment either refuse it or don’t stick with it long-term. But other therapies may be effective, according to two studies. A review of medical records from people who’d had surgery to enlarge the space behind the roof of the mouth showed that 21 out of 60 patients had been cured of the sleep disorder, according to the authors. The other study tested a custom-made dental device that can be inserted before bed to shift the jaw forward, preventing the airway obstruction associated with sleep apnea. Researchers found that the appliance worked in 37 of 50 participants with the sleep disorder.
Source: Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, May 2009