A recent study revealed that type 2 diabetes may double a person’s risk for fatal sepsis.
People under the age of 60 suffering from diabetes are at an increased risk for sepsis, a very serious condition in which the body responds to an infection, triggering inflammation that may cause severe complications and potentially death.
During the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna.
The study discovered a link between type 2 diabetes and sepsis that’s been mentioned in earlier studies, stated lead researchers Wendy Davis, a principal research fellow with the University of Western Australia.
Researchers mentioned in the background notes that over 10% of individuals who develop sepsis die.
For the study, researchers assessed data from over 1,400 individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes and 5,700 healthy individuals in Australia.
Up to 12% of people with type 2 diabetes developed sepsis, in contrast to 5% of healthy participants. After adjusting for other factors, type 2 diabetes was associated with double the risk of sepsis.
Notably, people aged between 41-50 years were at the highest risk, where diabetes was linked to a 14-fold increased risk of sepsis.
Other factors, including smoking, significantly contributed to increased sepsis risk, particularly among significantly raised the risk by 83%.
Researchers stated that increased blood sugar weakens the immune system, while diabetes-related nerve and vascular damage, along with infections such as urinary tract infection (UTIs) and pneumonia, can increase into sepsis.
Furthermore, researchers underscored the significance of controlling blood sugar and quitting smoking may reduce risk. However, the findings are preliminary until peer-reviewed publication.
