Diabetes mellitus is strongly associated with tuberculosis in Indonesia.
METHODS
Diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), but no studies have been reported from South-East Asia, which has a high burden of TB and a rapidly growing prevalence of diabetes.


OBJECTIVE
To examine if and to what extent diabetes is associated with an increased risk of TB in an urban setting in Indonesia.


METHODS
Case-control study comparing the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (fasting blood glucose level >126 mg/dl) among newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients and matched neighbourhood controls.


RESULTS
Patients and control subjects had a similar age (median 30 years) and sex distribution (52% male), but malnutrition was more common among TB patients (median body mass index 17.7 vs. 21.5 kg/m2). HIV infection was uncommon (1.5% of patients). Diabetes mellitus was present in 60 of 454 TB patients (13.2%) and 18 of 556 (3.2%) control subjects (OR 4.7; 95%CI 2.7-8.1). Adjustment for possible confounding factors did not reduce the risk estimates. Following anti-tuberculosis treatment, hyperglycaemia reverted in a minority (3.7%) of TB patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes mellitus is strongly associated with TB in young and non-obese subjects in an urban setting in Indonesia. This may have implications for TB control and patient care in this region.
Alisjahbana
B
B
Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia.
van Crevel
R
R
Sahiratmadja
E
E
den Heijer
M
M
Maya
A
A
Istriana
E
E
Danusantoso
H
H
Ottenhoff
T H M
TH
Nelwan
R H H
RH
van der Meer
J W M
JW
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*