[Increased risk of infection in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2]

Abstract

Objective: To determine the risk of common infections in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) or type 2 (DM2).

Design: Prospective controlled study.

Methods: In a 12-month prospective cohort study as part of the Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice, 705 adult DM1 and 6,712 DM2 patients were compared with 18,911 control patients who had hypertension without diabetes. Outcome measures were medically-attended episodes of infections of the respiratory tract, urinary tract, skin and mucous membranes. Multivariate and multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to determine independent risks of infections and their recurrence in patients with diabetes compared to controls.

Results: Upper respiratory-tract infections were as common in diabetes patients as in controls. Diabetes patients had a higher risk of lower respiratory-tract infections (DM2: odds ratio (OR): 1.30; 95% CI: 1.11-1.52), urinary-tract infections (DM1: OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.13-2.15; DM2: OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.07-1.38), bacterial skin or mucous-membrane infections (DM1: OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.01-2.15; DM2: OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.13-1.55) and mycotic skin or mucous-membrane infections (DM2: OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.24-1.61). The risk of recurrence of these common infections was seen to be increased.

Conclusions: Patients with type-1 and type-2 diabetes are at increased risk of lower respiratory-tract infections, urinary-tract infections and skin or mucous-membrane infections.