| Diabetics at higher risk of pneumococcal infection
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with diabetes face an increased
risk of contracting a serious pneumococcal bloodstream infection,
Danish researchers report. The finding supports the recommendation
that diabetics benefit from pneumococcal vaccination, especially
if they have chronic heart or lung disease.
Dr. Reimar Wernich Thomsen of Aarhus University Hospital in Aalborg
and colleagues note in the medical journal Diabetes Care that there
are several factors, including high blood glucose, that may increase
the risk of bacterial infection in diabetics.
To look into the matter, the researchers studied 598 people who
were hospitalized for the first time with pneumococcal bacteremia
-- that is, a serious bloodstream infection -- during a 10-year
period. Each case was compared with 10 "control" subjects
who were matched for age and gender but did not have bacteremia.
In all, 53 of the affected patients (9 percent) had diabetes compared
with just 298 (5 percent) of controls. After adjustment for other
illnesses, the odds of contracting pneumococcal bacteremia were
50 percent higher for people with diabetes.
However, age made a difference to the magnitude of the risk of
becoming infected. Among diabetics 40 years of age or younger, the
odds were 4 times higher. This might be because younger patients
are more likely to be exposed to sources of infection, such as children
in daycare.
All in all, the researchers estimate that 24 of 1000 hospital admissions
for pneumococcal bacteremia may be attributed to diabetes.
Thomsen's team notes that rates of pneumococcal vaccination in
Denmark are "unfortunately" low, compared with many states
in the U.S. While this might be a public health problem, on the
other hand vaccine coverage probably didn't have a major impact
on their findings.
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, May 2004.
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