Poor glycemic control among people with diabetes mellitus is associated with tuberculosis infection: a cross-sectional study in Nepal
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) raises the risk of contracting Tuberculosis (TB) infection and progressing to TB disease. Screening people with diabetes for TB infection and offering preventive treatment can, therefore, minimize the likelihood of progression to TB disease. This study aimed to test if glycemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus presenting to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal is associated with tuberculosis infection.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients aged ≥ 18 years, with a self-reported diabetes mellitus or HbA1C value of ≥ 6.5%, at a tertiary facility in Kathmandu, Nepal. Participants underwent Chest X-rays and TB symptoms screening for TB disease. TB infection status was identified in those without TB disease by an induration of ≥ 10 mm in the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). Clinical, social, anthropometric, and vaccination information were abstracted. Multiple logistic regression models were used.
RESULTS: Pulmonary TB disease was found in 19 of the 473 patients screened (4.0%) of whom 18 were bacteriologically confirmed. Of the 422 patients analysed, the median age was 54.5 (IQR 47-64.7) years, 316 (74.9%) had poor glycemic control and 193 patients had positive TST (TB infection prevalence - 45.7%). Individuals with poor glycemic control had more than three times the odds of testing TST-positive compared to those with good glycemic control (OR 3.30 [95% CI: 1.78-6.44]), after adjusting for relevant…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 473 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.