Asthma and Type 2 Diabetes Have Bidirectional Relationship

TOPLINE: 

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 million individuals reports that there is a bidirectional association between asthma and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and that asthma severity, rather than duration, is linked to an elevated risk for T2D.

METHODOLOGY:

• Although emerging evidence suggested the relationship between asthma and T2D may be more complex than originally believed, this topic has been relatively understudied.
• Researchers conducted a systematic review of four databases through October 31, 2023, to identify studies evaluating the relationship or causation between asthma and T2D.
• Researchers included the data of approximately 17 million individuals from 14 studies, a majority of whom were aged between 50 and 70 years; a quantitative meta-analysis was performed on 11 of the 14 studies.
• Data on the number of events or odds ratios (ORs) related to disease risk were extracted and analyzed.

TAKEAWAY:

• A bidirectional association was observed between asthma and T2D (OR, 1.50; P < .01).
• Patients with T2D were 83% more likely to develop asthma than those without T2D, whereas those with asthma were 28% more likely to develop T2D than those without asthma.
• The association may have been mediated by hypertension and dyslipidemia.
• The severity of asthma (P = .01), but not its duration, was associated with an elevated risk for T2D.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings have important implications for clinical practice. This relationship emphasizes the need for greater awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes or asthma and their healthcare providers,” suggested principal investigator Nam N. Nguyen in an accompanying press release.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Nam N. Nguyen, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and published online on September 10, 2024, as poster abstract 359 at European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 Annual Meeting in Madrid, Spain.

LIMITATIONS:

No limitations were discussed.

DISCLOSURES:

No source of funding was disclosed in this study. The authors declared no conflicts of interests.