Asian Journal of Medicine and Health

Background: Examining the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), diabetes, and diabetic complications is crucial because OSA and diabetes have become more common in recent years. In particular, we detail the contemporary and longitudinal research and give a thorough evaluation of the classical studies.

Objectives: To assess OSA as a risk factor for developing diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes (T2D), and to compare gender differences.

Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Science Direct were systematically searched for relevant literature. Rayyan QRCI was employed throughout this comprehensive process.

Results and interpretation: We included nine studies with a total of 45530 patients, and 25420 (55.8%) were males. People with OSA are more prone to develop diabetes. This risk was more prevalent in women and had a stronger correlation with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Although gender may have a major impact on this relationship in women, it is unclear whether the correlation between OSA and diabetes in the elderly is different from that in the young and middle-aged. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies examine possible causative relationships between OSA and diabetic complications, how treating OSA influences the emergence of these problems, and how age influences the association between OSA and diabetes. We think that treating these common comorbidities will improve diabetic patients' prognosis and quality of life.