posted 10/17/02
Post menopausal women with diabetes who use oral medication to control their diabetes are at an increased risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs) finds a new study.
UTIs are common among adult women, accounting for more than 7 million visits to the doctor every year. Physicians have long observed a link between diabetes and UTIs, noting the disease causes many changes in the body that could put people at higher risk for the infection. However, little research has been conducted to confirm these observations.
Investigators from the VA Puget Sound and the University of Washington, compared about 900 women ages 55 to 75 who had been diagnosed with a UTI to about 900 randomly selected women of the same ages. About 13 percent of the women in the UTI group were found to have diabetes, compared with nearly 7 percent of the controls. Researchers then compared the incidence of UTI among the two groups.
Results showed diabetic women who required treatment with oral medications to control their blood sugar were significantly more likely to suffer from UTIs than nondiabetic women. However, there was no difference in the incidence of UTIs among diabetic women who were not being treated with medications for their diabetes or who controlled their disease through lifestyle changes. The study also found no difference in UTI incidence among women who had, had diabetes for a longer or shorter number of years or who exhibited better or worse blood sugar control.
The investigators conclude women with more severe diabetes, as indicated by the need for oral medications, are at higher risk for UTIs.
Source: Ivanhoe Newswire: Diabetes Care, 2002;25:1778-1783.
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