By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Sleep apnea is a very common health problem where people have sleep interrupted with periods of snoring and erratic breathing.

We have known for quite some time that sleep apnea is associated with high blood pressure. Now a new study from Dublin has made the association between sleep apnea and diabetes.

The study looked at 8000 people and found the association. One of the important points is that if you are someone who has sleep apnea or suspects that you might, it is worth getting a complete physical and evaluated for diabetes.