Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for tuberculosis in the Federal District between 2019 and September 2023

Abstract

Objective: ro identify the association between tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus, observing the clinical and epidemiological behavior of this binomial, in the Federal District (DF), from 2019 to September 2023. Methodology: epidemiological cross-sectional and analytical study, with secondary data extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) via DATASUS, of patients with tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus in the DF. All reported cases of tuberculosis with record of diabetes mellitus in the DF were included, excluding incomplete or duplicated records. Dependent variable: clinical outcomes of tuberculosis (cure, relapse, drug resistant tuberculosis, treatment default and death); independent variables: diabetes mellitus (yes/no); sociodemographic covariates: sex, age, race and education level, and homelessness; clinical and lifestyle covariates: pulmonary/extrapulmonary form, positive sputum smear microscopy, HIV, mental illness, smoking, alcoholism, illicit drugs use, and health professionals. Relative and absolute frequencies, chisquare and Fisher’s Exact tests were used, adopting statistical significance of p<0.05, using BioEstat 5.0 software. Results: a total of 1,574 patients were evaluated. The predominant epidemiological profile was male individuals, over 65 years old, mixed-race (pardo), with low education, smokers, without HIV coinfection. Diabetic tuberculosis patients progress less to cure, with more deaths and cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Conclusion: the incidence of the tuberculosis-diabetes mellitus binomial shows a progressive increase in cases over the years, with worse clinical outcomes. The integrated management of these two associated diseases is essential to reduce complications and prevent deaths.