Researchers say diabetes patients have a high risk of developing tuberculosis because the body's stress responses result in impaired glucose tolerance, which is a major risk factor for diabetes. Drugs used to treat tuberculosis also make it difficult for patients to manage glucose.
“There are three major public-health issues related to TB and diabetes. First, a person with diabetes has lower immunity and therefore has a higher risk of having TB," Dr Roopa Shivashankar, who works with the Public Health Foundation of India in Delhi, told a news portal. Adding, "Second, TB is presented differently, making the diagnosis difficult; and third, they are more likely to have a poor outcome of treatment.”
15% of the global TB burden is due to diabetes, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The urgency to manage and prevent these conditions is crucial because India has the most number of TB patients and is also has the second-largest number of diabetes patients.
“People with diabetes should seek treatment if they have a cough lasting more than two weeks, fever, night sweats and/or weight loss,” Dr Subash Babu, Scientific Director at the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, told a news portal.
The recent findings were originally published in the journal Diabetes Metabolism Research and Reviews.
