Diabetes is associated with increased nocturnal respiratory rate

The study examined the relationship between diabetes and nocturnal respiratory rate in over 25,000 individuals from four large cohort studies. Results showed that patients with diabetes have a statistically significantly higher nocturnal respiratory rate. For each increase in breathing by one breath per minute, the probability of diabetes increases. When respiratory rate was higher than 18 breaths per minute, the odds of diabetes were 1.77 times higher in the unadjusted model and 1.49 times higher after adjusting for other factors. The authors suggest that autonomic neuropathy caused by diabetes may be the underlying mechanism. Further studies are needed to confirm this mechanism and to determine whether monitoring nocturnal respiratory rate could help in early detection of diabetes complications.