Diabetes mellitus and Lung Function

• Published in: Medical principles and practice Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 87 - 91
• Main Authors: Boulbou, Mary S., Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos I., Klisiaris, Vasilios K., Tsikrikas, Thomas S., Stathakis, Nikolaos E., Molyvdas, P.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland 01.04.2003
• Subjects: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Lung Volume Measurements; Male; Original Paper; Posture; Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity - physiology; Respiratory Function Tests; Statistics, Nonparametric; Pulmonary volumes; Lung diffusing capacity; Diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 1011-7571; 1423-0151
• DOI: 10.1159/000069118

Objectives: To assess the nature of pulmonary dysfunction in type 1 diabetes and the relationship of pulmonary function tests to diabetic factors and complication. Subjects and Methods: Sixteen type 1 diabetic patients and 26 control subjects matched for age and sex were studied. We performed spirometry measurements and measured pulmonary diffusing capacity (DL CO ) in sitting and supine position by the single-breath method corrected by alveolar volume (VA). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA Ic ), retinopathy and microalbuminuria were included as parameters of metabolic control and diabetic complications. Results: Diabetic patients showed a significant reduction of the following pulmonary function tests (% predicted value) as compared with control subjects: total lung capacity (TLC, 92.6 ± 14.5 vs. 113.9 ± 17.5, p < 0.001), lung diffusing capacity in sitting position (DL CO , 90.4 ± 21.1 vs. 107.7 ± 15.6, p = 0.004), lung diffusing capacity in supine position (DL CO , 88.3 ± 19.3 vs. 111.9 ± 19.9, p = 0.001). The differences in diffusing capacity corrected by alveolar volume in sitting and supine position (DL CO /VA) were not significant. By changing the posture from sitting to supine position both diabetic patients and control subjects significantly increased DL CO /VA (103.4 ± 17.7 vs. 112.7 ± 22.3, p = 0.046 and 99.5 ± 13.4 vs. 114.4 ± 13, p < 0.001, respectively). There was no correlation between pulmonary function tests and diabetic complications. Conclusion: These data indicate that type 1 diabetic patients showed reduced TLC and DL CO , features of pulmonary restrictive dysfunction. There was no correlation between abnormal pulmonary function and the presence of other diabetic complications.