Transplants could hold diabetes risk

A specific type of stem cell transplant procedure has been associated with a risk of developing diabetes and hypertension.
According to a study published in the Journal Blood, allogeneic stem cell procedures, which are a common form of treatment for cancers (including Leukemia and Lymphoma), could increase the risk of diabetes and hypertension.
The procedure relies on chemotherapy or full body irradiatio, and whilst these procedures are more effective in killing cancer cells, they are also more likely to cause severe side effects. Low levels of blood cells can be treated, but may be life-threatening. The study that investigated the condition (the bone marrow transplant survivor study) focused on long-term side effects.
They found a 3.65-fold increase in diabetics, and a 2.06-fold increase in hypertension patients. The study group suggested that those patients who have the procedure could benefit from screening for diabetes at an early stage.