Prevalence and associated factors of dysglycemia among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

OBJECTIVES: Dysglycemia is known to be a common comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, undiagnosed dysglycemia and the associated factors remain under-reported. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the associated factors of dysglycemia among COPD patients.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, single-center study involving adults with established COPD (n = 186) divided into those with or without hospital admissions for acute exacerbation. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in patients with no known history of dysglycemia.

RESULTS: There were 16 patients who had overt diabetes, and 32 had prediabetes following the OGTT. Forty percent had histories of hospital admissions for COPD exacerbations. Both groups demonstrated similar 2-h post prandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose. The incidences of newly diagnosed dysglycemia were higher in both groups (40.8% vs 34.6%, p = 0.57). Cumulative days of admission (≥6 days/year) and weight (≥65 kg) were identified as predictors for dysglycemia within the study population.

DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated a high number of overt and newly diagnosed dysglycemia among COPD patients who had no previous history of abnormal glucose. Recent acute exacerbations of COPD could have a negative impact on glycemia, although the results did not attain statistical significance. However, there is a need for adequate screening for dysglycemia, particularly among those with frequent acute exacerbations of their condition.