Restrictive lung diseases - late consequence of diabetes?

Breathlessness and conditions of restrictive lung disease (RLD), such as pulmonary fibrosis, may be a late complication of type 2 diabetes. These are the key findings of a joint study undertaken by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) under the leadership of the University Hospital Heidelberg.

© yodiyim - stock.adobe.com

The research team comprised 110 patients with long-term type 2 diabetes, 29 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, 68 patients with pre-diabetes and 48 non-diabetic patients (controls). The study participants were examined for metabolic control, diabetes-related complications, breathlessness, and lung function. It was found that people with type 2 diabetes are significantly more likely to suffer from breathlessness and RLD than the control group. RLD was found in 27% of patients with long-term type 2 diabetes, in 20% of patients with newly diagnosed diabetes, and in 9% of patients with pre-diabetes. Patients with pronounced symptoms and RLD also showed CT-morphologically a fibrosating interstitial lung disease. There were also differences in the morphological analysis of the lung tissue of subjects with and without diabetes. Patients with diabetes had increased pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, the study showed that RLD is associated with albuminuria. In the disease, urinary albumin levels are elevated. This may be an indication that lung disease and kidney disease may be associated with diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy).
The researchers suspect that restrictive lung disease (RLD) is a late consequence of type 2 diabetes

Original Publication:
Stefan Kopf, Jan B. Groener,  Zoltan Kender, Thomas Fleming,  Maik Brune, Christin Riedinger, Nadine Volk, Esther Herpel, Dominik Pesta,  Julia Szendrödi,  Mark O. Wielpütz, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor,  Hugo A. Katus, Michael Kreuter, Peter P. Nawroth. Breathlessness and Restrictive Lung Disease: An Important Diabetes-Related Feature in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Respiration 2018, DOI: 10.1159/000488909