A study released in October found that snoring and sleep apnea are linked to a higher risk for type 2 diabetes for older adults. Sleep apnea is a condition that involves instances of interrupted breathing owing to an individual’s airways closing during sleep. This study is significant because the majority of studies in the past focused on the relationship between interrupted sleep and diabetes risk for middle-aged adults. Sleep apnea becomes more common with age, however, so focusing on an older population yielded important results. Study participants who snore were found to be 27 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and participants with sleep apnea were found to be twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. These findings suggest that doctors may want to monitor blood sugar levels for older patients with disordered sleep.