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Diabetes More Prevalent in COPD Patients Without Emphysema
In a new study published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine, researchers aimed to determine the frequency of diabetes in those patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study, which consisted of 4,197 participants, found that those defined as non-emphysematous (without the symptoms of emphysema) had an increased prevalence of diabetes.
The method of the study “aimed to create a simplified distinction between emphysema-predominant and presumed airway-predominant COPD based on the presence or absence of emphysema on chest CT scan.” Based on this, researchers used two groups of participants, non-emphysematous and emphysema-predominant, to determine the prevalence of diabetes.
Although they were unable to determine the on-set of diabetes in the non-emphysematous participants, researchers were able to determine the prevalence of diabetes based on previous studies conducted, comprised of participant self-reporting.
Study authors suggest that “COPD patients without emphysema may warrant closer monitoring for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia and vice versa.”
