Work

On the Relationship between Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Evolution and Epigenetics

Year: 2022

Type: review

Abstract: This review offers an overview of the relationship between diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, and heart disease. It then addresses evidence that the traditional understanding of this relationship is incomplete or misleading. In the process, there is a brief discussion of the evolutionary rationale for the development and retention of OSA in light of blood sugar dysregulation, as an adaptive mechanism in response to environmental stressors, followed by a brief overview of the general concepts of epigenetics. Finally, this paper presents the results of a literature search on the epigenetic marks and changes in gene expression found in OSA and diabetes. (While some of these marks will also correlate with obesity and heart disease, that is beyond the scope of this project). We conclude with an exploration of alternative explanations for the etiology of these interlinking diseases.

Source: Biomedicines

DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030668

Authors: N. R. C. Wilson, Olivia J. Veatch, Steven M. Johnson

Institutions: Brigham Young University, University of Kansas Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research

Subfield: Physiology (medical)

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,303