Tuberculosis & Diabetes Mellitus – Impact of Co- Association

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) & Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are common diseases in Pakistan & both are on rising trend, so not surprisingly they co-exit. Patient with diabetes mellitus are susceptible to infections & tuberculosis is one of them. For people with tuberculosis infection & having diabetes mellitus the risk to develop disease is as high as three times and up to 30% over a life time as compared to non diabetic patient with the TB infection. The problem of TB patients’ management with diabetes is compounded by delay in diagnosis as both disease share symptoms such as lassitude, weight loss & anorexia etc. The possibility of concomitant diabetes should be considered in patient with poor clinical response to Anti tuberculousdrugs/ treatment (ATT) & similarly the suspicion of associated TB infection should be considered in patient with uncontrolled diabetes.