Reduced lung function may increase diabetes risk
2004-12-20
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Consistent with previous findings, a study in the December issue of Diabetes Care shows that impaired pulmonary function is associated with an increased incidence of diabetes.
Drs. Earl S. Ford and David M. Mannino from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta analyzed data on 4,830 men and women aged 25 to 74 participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. They were interviewed and examined at baseline in 1971-1975 and followed through 1992-1993.
During follow-up, 443 developed diabetes. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant inverse association between lung function (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and percentage of predicted FVC and the incidence of diabetes.
Restrictive lung disease, but not chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was associated with a moderate increase in the risk of diabetes (hazard ratio, 1.45).
The authors note that additional studies are needed to better understand the relationship between impaired lung function and diabetes and their possible implications.
“Inflammation associated with pulmonary disorders could conceivably contribute to the development of diabetes,” they point out. “If so, abnormal pulmonary function or lung disease could act as a risk factor for diabetes.”
Nevertheless, if “the development of diabetes impairs lung function, the changes could be seen as risk markers rather than risk factors for diabetes.”