BOSTON -- In Monday's medical news, NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross has news on diabetes, sleep disorders and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Diabetes And Caffeine

Could drinking a lot of green tea, or even coffee, every day be the key to warding off diabetes?

A Japanese study reported that middle-aged people in Japan who drank large quantities of caffeinated drinks had a much lower risk of diabetes.

The study found that people who reported drinking at least six cups a day of green tea were one-third less likely to have diabetes. The risk reduced even more among Japanese who drank three or more cups of coffee every day.

Although the study included more than 17,000 people, researchers can't say caffeine is the key, because they did not take into account other important dietary factors.

Sleep Disorder

There are new reasons to take serious sleep problems to heart, according to new research.

Scientists found that patients who repeatedly stop breathing for up to 10 seconds or longer at a time were three times more likely to have an abnormally fast heart beat. Researchers also found the subjects were four times more likely to have irregular heartbeats.

Experts behind the finding said it's likely that the heart problems could explain the higher number of deaths with nighttime breathing troubles.

ADHD Drug Patch?

Millions of smokers who need help quitting turn to the patch, but now, patches could be showing up in schools to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to a patch with the same medicine in Ritalin used to treat ADHD. The patch, containing the drug Daytrana, is for children ages 6 to 12 and can be worn for up to nine hours a day.

The FDA advisory panel recommended that the patch be used as an alternative treatment for children who find it too difficult to take a pill.

About one in 20 children takes medicine for ADHD in the United States.

The FDA is still debating whether or not to impose the so-called "black box warning" -- the strongest warning available -- on ADHD drugs, partly because of a concern that they are over-prescribed.