Risk of common infections elevated in diabetics

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with diabetes are at
increased risk for urinary tract infections, pneumonia and
other common infections, Dutch researchers report in the
journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

“Previous studies,” lead investigator Dr. Leonie M. Muller
told Reuters Health, “were mostly hospital-based and did not
account for differences in type of diabetes. We studied a
unique cohort of unselected diabetes populations with and
without insulin use in primary care.”

Muller from University Medical Center Utrecht and
colleagues determined the risks of common infections in 705
adults with type 1 diabetes, 6712 with type 2 diabetes, and
18,911 subjects without diabetes.

The investigators report that while upper respiratory tract
infections, such as those involving the ears or throat, were
equally common among diabetics and nondiabetics, the diabetic
groups were at greater risk for lower respiratory tract
infections, like pneumonia.

Diabetic patients were also at greater risk of urinary
tract infections and for bacterial or fungal skin infections.
With the exception of the fungal skin infection, type 1
diabetics had slightly higher risks than did type 2 diabetics.

Muller pointed out that doctors “need to be aware of the
fact that indeed diabetes patients have an increased risk of
common infections. They should educate their diabetes patients
about the increased risk, how to reduce that risk and when to
consult their general practitioner.”

“Further research,” she added, “should focus on the
prognosis of common infections in patients with diabetes,
thereby giving physicians tailored information on which
patients are at high risk for a complicated course.”

SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, August 1, 2005.