Prevalence and risk factors for reduced pulmonary function in diabetic patients: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Published in: The Korean journal of internal medicine Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 682 - 689
• Main Authors: Kim, Hee Yeon, Sohn, Tae Seo, Seok, Hannah, Yeo, Chang Dong, Kim, Young Soo, Song, Jae Yen, Lee, Young Bok, Lee, Dong-Hee, Lee, Jae-Im, Lee, Tae-Kyu, Jeong, Seong Cheol, Hong, Mihee, Chae, Hiun Suk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Association of Internal Medicine 01.07.2017; 대한내과학회
• Subjects: Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Complications - epidemiology; Diabetes Complications - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Lung - physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Surveys; Original; Prevalence; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory Insufficiency - epidemiology; Respiratory Insufficiency - etiology; Respiratory Insufficiency - physiopathology; 내과학; Prevalence; Diabetes; Risk factors; Respiratory function tests
• ISSN: 1226-3303; 2005-6648
• DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2016.045

An association between reduced pulmonary function and diabetes has been observed. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with reduced pulmonary function in diabetic patients. We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2013. The study population included data from 8,784 participants (including 1,431 diabetics) aged ≥ 40 years. Reduced pulmonary function was defined as patients with restrictive (forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity [FEV /FVC] ≥ 0.7 and FVC < 80% of predicted value) or obstructive (FEV /FVC < 0.7) patterns. Subjects with diabetes had a higher prevalence of restrictive (18.4% vs. 9.4%, < 0.001) and obstructive impairments (20% vs. 12.6%, < 0.001) than those without diabetes. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for obstructive and restrictive pulmonary impairment were 0.91 (0.75 to 1.11) and 1.57 (1.30 to 1.89), respectively. In the diabetes population, age (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.06), male sex (aOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.88), and body mass index (aOR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.21) were independently associated with restrictive pulmonary impairment. Age (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.14), male sex (aOR, 4.24; 95% CI, 2.42 to 7.44), and smoking at any point (ever-smoker: aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.16 to 3.33) were independent risk factors for obstructive pulmonary impairment in diabetics. Diabetes duration or glycated hemoglobin had no association with pulmonary impairment in diabetes. Subjects with diabetes had a higher risk of restrictive pulmonary impairment than those without diabetes after adjusting for confounding factors. Older age, male sex, body mass index, and smoking were associated with reduced lung function in diabetes.