Role of Diabetes in prevalence of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a lethal disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Mycobacterium initially infects lungs. If the infection spreads beyond the lungs, the symptoms will depend upon the individual organs. Diabetes is a type of metabolic disease in which a person has increased blood sugar level. It's because the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells inside the body do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Diabetics have a three to five time's higher risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) than those without diabetes disease. Diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for tuberculosis and may affect disease treatment and also the response. Additionally tuberculosis may induce glucose intolerance and worsen the glycaemic control in people with diabetes. The main aim of this Review is to evaluate the epidemiology of diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis disease, the effect of diabetes mellitus on tuberculosis and vice versa.