United States – Individuals with type 2 diabetes are about twice more likely to have asthma, according to the conclusions made in a new review.
Researchers also noted that the risk being assigned to type 2 diabetes increases the threat of asthma by 83 percent more than patients without diabetes.
Asthma Patients Also Face Increased Risk of Diabetes
The same is true in the reverse; individuals with asthma are 28 percent more likely to get type 2 diabetes according to investigators, as reported by HealthDay.
“This relationship emphasizes the need for greater awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes or asthma and their healthcare providers,” said lead researcher Dr. Nam Nguyen with Taipei Medical University in Taiwan.
Data from 17 Million Individuals Supports Findings
In the study, the investigators combined information on 17 million individuals from 14 prior investigations on the relationship between asthma and type 2 diabetes.
The results also reflected that patient with severe asthmatic conditions have higher chances of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers.
These findings also imply that asthma and diabetes could share some of the causes or consist of other causes that have not been investigated sufficiently, said the researchers.
According to Nguyen, it is recommended that other researchers examine the existence of the correlation between asthma and type 2 diabetes.
Early Prevention and Management Strategies Urged
It is important to understand that findings reported at a medical meeting have not yet been peer-reviewed and should thus be considered otherwise, as reported by HealthDay.
“It appears that efforts should be made to tackle targets that would reduce cases of type 2 diabetes in asthmatics,” said Nguyen during a meeting in a news release. “For instance, identifying and controlling pre-diabetes in asthma patients early before it translates into type 2 diabetes or exercising great care while using systemic corticosteroids that may bring temporary hyperglycemia and are predictors of type 2 diabetes too. ”