Study of pulmonary function tests in patients of diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma

Master's Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Medicine - Other, grade: 60, , course: MD Pulmonary Medicine, language: English, abstract: This study entitled "STUDY OF PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS IN PATIENTS OF DIABETES MELLITUS (NIDDM) WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE OR ASTHMA" was carried out in the period from July 2006 to October 2008.
A total of consecutive 45 patients were included in the study depending on the criteria till the sample size of each group was met. The groupwise division of patients was as follows:
Group A: Type 2 DM patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (n=15)
Group B: Type 2 DM patients with Asthma (n=15)
Group C: A control group of healthy non diabetic, non smoking subjects with no chest complaints (n=15)
The study shows that spirometry results in type 2 diabetes patients with COPD or asthma require confirmation with further pulmonary function tests in the form of DLCO and lung volume measurements with body plethysmography. This is in accordance with the ATS/ERS 2005 recommendations on interpretative strategies in pulmonary function testing. Also there is definite impairment in health related quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients with COPD or Asthma.
The present study suggests that the decrease in FEV1% and FVC% associated with diabetes might be responsible for variable spirometric findings in addition to the severity of the airway disease, thus necessitating the need for confirmation with further pulmonary function tests in the form of DLCO and lung volume measurements with body plethysmography. These findings are deserving of further research in the form of pathophysiological studies. Also the definite impairment in health related quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients with COPD or asthma necessitates the integration of health related quality of life assessment in the management of these patients.