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Adults with diabetes more likely to contract TB
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Adults with diabetes are up to seven times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the general population, even in countries with a low burden of the infectious disease, according to research in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
In a 20-year retrospective study examining the medical records of patients with TB admitted to a teaching hospital in Australia, researchers found that an immune-suppressing condition such as diabetes is correlated with both an increased risk for bacterial infections and a poorer prognosis.
“You can have TB your whole life and not know it, but if you suffer from diabetes and your immune system is not functioning well, it can flare up,” Robert Norton, MD, of Townsville Hospital in Queensland, Australia, said in a press release.
Norton and colleagues analyzed medical records data from 69 patients in Australia identified as having TB between 1995 and 2014. Within the cohort, comorbid TB and diabetes occurred in 23% of patients (n = 16). When compared with the general population, researchers found an association between diabetes and TB (P < .0001), with patients with diabetes seven times overrepresented in the TB patient population (OR = 6.6; 95% CI, 3.788-11.6). Of the 16 patients with comorbid diabetes and TB, seven had a fasting blood glucose greater than 6 mmol/L and an HbA1c greater than 6.5%.
Norton said the results show that all patients with diabetes should be screened for TB, regardless of whether they live in an area with a high burden of the disease.
“It is especially important because the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at a very significant pace,” Norton said. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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