Prevalence of asthma among children with diabetes noted in study

NEW YORK — There seems to be a significant presence of asthma among children with diabetes, and those with both chronic illnesses have a difficult time controlling their blood-sugar levels, according to new research.

The study, published in the Sept. 26 edition of Pediatrics, involved a cross-sectional analysis of data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study betweem 2002 and 2005, which included 1,683 children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (known as juvenile diabetes), as well as 311 children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The subjects' asthma status and medications were gathered from medical records and self-administered questionnaires, while glycemic control was assessed from hbA1C measured at the study visit, the company said. The study authors found that the prevalence of asthma among Type 1 diabetes patients was 10%, while prevalence among Type 2 diabetes patients was 16.1%. Additionally, the prevalence also varied by ethnicity, the study authors noted.

What's more, those asthma were more likely to have poor glycemic control, especially those with Type 1 diabetes whose asthma was not treated with pharmacotherapy.

The study authors said that while this association isn't clear, they concluded that specific asthma medications may decrease systemic inflammation, which may cause the complex relationship between pulmonary function, body mass index and glycemic control among youth with diabetes.

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