Type 2 diabetes linked to tuberculosis

According to recent reports in the diabetes news, those patients with type 2 diabetes could face a greater risk of developing tuberculosis due to immune system weakness. Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is a life-threatening lung infection.
A research team at the School of Public Health, University of Texas, found that type 2 diabetes altered the immune response to TB, particularly amongst those patients that had very high blood sugar levels .
Furthermore, those patients with type 2 diabetes reportedly took longer to respond to TB treatment. Those diabetics who also have TB were found to have more drug-resistant strains of the disease. Amongst the patients with chronic hyperglycaemia, the researchers noted, these effects were even more pronounced.
Type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar levels can cause significant long-term complications, many of which are fatal.