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Asthma and diabetes: Diabetes and asthma: Is there a link?

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Diabetes and asthma: Is there a link?

There is some evidence that diabetes is a risk factor for asthma and vice versa. Some experts suggest that systemic inflammation could play a role in both conditions. Asthma medications may contribute to diabetes, and diabetes may cause changes in the lungs that contribute to asthma.

Asthma is a condition that affects a person’s airways, causing them to close and become inflamed. In diabetes, the body has difficulties maintaining optimal blood sugar levels, causing them to become too high. Although they are both chronic conditions, many people initially assume there is no link between asthma and diabetes.

However, scientists have begun to explore possible links between asthma and diabetes. This article explains the latest research, risk factors, and management strategies for both conditions.

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys insulin-creating cells. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce sufficient insulin or does not react properly to the substance.

Asthma and diabetes may be risk factors for one another. A 2020 study found that siblings of people with asthma had an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and vice versa. Additionally, a 2021 review found an association between asthma and type 2 diabetes.

Scientists are unsure what causes this link. One popular theory suggests systemic inflammation could increase the risk of both conditions. However, diabetes could contribute to asthma, and asthma could contribute to diabetes.

For instance, some researchers suspect that asthma can develop or worsen because of elevated blood sugar or blood-insulin levels in the lungs of people with diabetes. Conversely, steroids are a mainstay of asthma treatment, though they can cause or exacerbate diabetes.

Learn more about diabetes.

According to the American Lung Association, there are several risk factors for asthma. These include:

  • a family history of asthma
  • exposure to air pollution, tobacco smoke, or work-related pollutants
  • smoking
  • allergies
  • viral infections
  • obesity

That said, having risk factors for a condition does not guarantee it will develop.

Learn more about asthma.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:

  • having a close relative with type 1 diabetes
  • being a child, teenager, or young adult
  • being white

There are many more known risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These include:

  • having a close relative with type 1 diabetes
  • having prediabetes
  • being overweight or obese
  • being 45 years of age or older
  • being physically active no more than twice per week
  • having a history of gestational diabetes
  • having given birth to an infant who weighed more than 9 pounds

Race and ethnicity are also relevant to type 2 diabetes. The following groups are at an increased risk of developing this condition:

  • African Americans
  • Hispanic and Latino individuals
  • American Indians
  • Alaska Natives

Scientists also suspect that being a Pacific Islander or an Asian American could also be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Learn more about diabetes risk factors.

Some scientists have concerns that asthma medications could worsen a person’s diabetes.

However, the data on this connection remains unclear.

The 2021 review found evidence that corticosteroids can increase blood sugar levels. They may also disrupt the body’s control over blood sugar levels. Since corticosteroids are crucial for managing asthma, this could complicate treatment for people with both conditions.

On the other hand, a 2020 study found that asthma only affects diabetes when it is severe. The study argues that inhaled steroids do not affect blood sugar levels at low or mild doses. With this in mind, more research into treatment for people with diabetes and asthma is necessary.

The CDC outlines some lifestyle choices that can help with diabetes. Some of these choices could also benefit people with asthma. Individuals can manage diabetes by:

  • maintaining a moderate body weight
  • eating a nutritious diet
  • getting regular exercise

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these measures can positively affect asthma.

Learn about the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.

Some studies suggest that asthma could increase the risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes and vice versa. This link could be due to systemic inflammation, which may be at the root of both conditions.

Appropriate lifestyle choices help individuals manage both conditions. For instance, obesity may worsen asthma and diabetes, so people may benefit from maintaining a moderate body weight.

Having both diabetes and asthma could cause some challenges. Inhaled corticosteroids are crucial for managing asthma, yet some experts believe they may worsen a person’s diabetes.

Association between Asthma and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Mechanisms and Impact on Asthma Control—A Literature Review

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Bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus

Bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus occur against the background of impaired functioning of the immune system. Diabetes mellitus develops as an autoimmune disease with the production of antibodies against the pancreas’ own cells. In bronchial asthma, plant pollen, food, animal hair, bacteria, etc. act as an antigen. The risk of developing asthma in diabetics is higher than in people without autoimmune diseases.

There is also a risk of impaired carbohydrate metabolism for asthmatics using glucocorticosteroids for treatment. With this combination, the development of diabetes as a complication of steroid therapy is less common than osteoporosis or other side effects, but all steroids and a number of other drugs used to treat bronchial asthma worsen the course of existing diabetes, as they increase blood sugar levels.

Patients with asthma who are diagnosed with steroid diabetes usually have severe asthma, which is the reason for the prescription of systemic steroids. Their use in high doses or for a long time leads to obesity. Obesity, in turn, worsens the course of diabetes.

Bronchial asthma in diabetes mellitus occurs more often in the first, insulin-dependent type. There was no association between type 2 diabetes and the incidence of asthma.

For patients with bronchial asthma, a complete cessation of smoking is necessary, since this factor leads to frequent attacks of suffocation and causes circulatory disorders, vasospasm. In diabetes mellitus, in conditions of angiopathy, smoking increases the risk of developing diabetic neuropathy, heart disease, destruction of the glomeruli of the kidneys and kidney failure.

In order to prevent complications of diabetes in the treatment of bronchial asthma, patients are recommended to:

1. Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels and dose adjustment while prescribing glucocorticoids.

2. Follow a diet that limits simple carbohydrates and foods that can cause allergic reactions.