Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been reported to be very common in patient with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and this relation is expected as both conditions share obesity as a common risk factor. Despite that several articles have stated that OSA is an independent risk factor for abnormal glucose metabolism, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.~In contrast, patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are leaner and younger than patients with T2D, so it was expected that OSA might be less common in patients with T1D. However, few studies have reported the prevalence of OSA in T1D with a range between 8 and 46%. The relationship between OSA and diabetes-related vascular disease is poorly explored in patients with T1D. This suggests a mechanism other than obesity may be responsible for OSA in patients with T1D. Therefore, the investigators hypothesized that (1) OSA is related to CAN rather than obesity in patients with T1D. (2) OSA is common in patients with T1D. (3) OSA is associated with worse metabolic profile and microvascular complications in T1D. (4) Oxidative and nitrosative stress are possible mechanisms relating OSA to T1D complication.
The primary aim of this study is to assess the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in patients with T1D.~The secondary aims of this study are to assess: (1) the prevalence of OSA in patients with T1D; (2) the relationship between OSA and metabolic parameters (such as glycaemic control, blood pressure, lipids and weight) in patients with T1D; (3) the relationship between OSA and diabetes-related microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, peripheral neuropathy) in patients with T1D; and (4) the potential mechanisms for the relationship between OSA and diabetic-related complications if such a relationship is found.