Latent tuberculosis infection tied to increased diabetes risk: Study

USA: A recent study in the journal Diabetes Care has suggested that people with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. 

Cross-sectional U.S. studies have shown that diabetes patients are at twice the risk of latent tuberculosis infection versus those without diabetes. However, it is not known if LTBI is a contributor to diabetes risk. To fill this knowledge gap, Matthew J. Magee, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, and colleagues aimed to determine if LTBI is associated with increased diabetes incidence using longitudinal data. 

The researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study among U.S. Veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration from 2000 to 2015. All patients without preexisting diabetes who received a tuberculin skin test (TST) or interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) were eligible for the study. Those with a history of active TB and those diagnosed with diabetes before or within 2 years after LTBI testing were excluded. Patients were followed until diabetes diagnosis, death, or 2015.