DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 IN HOSPITALIZED COPD PATIENTS: IMPACT ON COMORBIDITIES AND EXACERBATIONS

Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects 2-37% of COPD patients, with results being highly variable between studies. DM may also correlate with other comorbidities and frequency of exacerbations. The aim was to find out the impact of DM and its correlation with comorbidities and COPD exacerbations in patients with COPD admitted for exacerbation. 152 patients were studied for presence of DM. All of them were also assessed for vitamin D status, metabolic syndrome (MS) and arterial hypertension. Data were gathered for number of exacerbations during the last year. Medical history for presence of cancer was obtained. Duration of current hospital stay was recorded. 34.9% of patients have DM. There is a correlation between the presence of DM and MS (p = 0.008) and between DM and arterial hypertension (p = 0.007). The presence of DM is associated with more severe exacerbations (hospitalizations) during the previous year (p =- 0.003) and a longer hospital stay (p = 0.006), but is not associated with presence of cancer. The presence of DM in COPD patients hospitalized for exacerbation is associated with presence of MS, arterial hypertension, more severe exacerbations (hospitalizations) during the previous year and longer hospital stay, but not with vitamin D levels and status, medical history of cancer, number of fractures, BMI and BAI. Patients with COPD admitted for exacerbation are at great risk for impaired glucose metabolism which may impact natural course of COPD and prevalence of other comorbidities.