Aims To describe the association between lung function and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods We identified English language studies evaluating the association between lung function and diabetes mellitus in the MEDLINE database from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 2009. We evaluated study quality based on established criteria (54 studies were reviewed, 34 met the inclusion criteria).Results Cross-sectional studies showed that adults with diabetes mellitus have lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), with reductions in FVC more consistent than FEV1 and lower diffusion capacity (DLCO) compared with their non-diabetic counterparts. The reduced lung function in patients with diabetes is inversely related to blood glucose levels, duration of diabetes and its severity and is independent of smoking or obesity. Findings in cohort studies have been less consistent, with only a few studies identifying an increased rate of lung function decline in adults with diabetes. In addition, other cohort studies have reported an association between decreased lung function and incident insulin resistance and diabetes. Studies evaluating biological mechanisms to explain the association between lung impairment and diabetes identified microangiopathy of the alveolar capillaries and pulmonary arterioles, chronic inflammation, autonomic neuropathy involving the respiratory muscles, loss of elastic recoil secondary to collagen glycosylation of lung parenchyma, hypoxia-induced insulin resistance and low birthweight, as being associated with both insulin resistance and impaired lung function.Conclusions There is an association between diabetes mellitus and decreased lung function, but the definitive direction as well as the exact pathophysiological mechanism to explain this association requires further investigation. Diabet. Med. 27, 977-987 (2010)

OBJECTIVEType 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with lung dysfunction, but this association has not been explored in Hispanics/Latinos. The relation between diabetic nephropathy and lung function and symptoms has not been explored.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSThe Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a large, multicenter, observational study, recruited 16,415 participants aged 18–74 years (14,455 with complete data on variables of interest), between 2008 and 2011 from four U.S. communities through a two-stage area household probability design. Baseline measurements were used for analyses. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and dyspnea score were compared between individuals with and without DM, overall, and stratified by albuminuria. The analyses were performed separately for those with and without preexisting lung disease (chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma). Linear regression with sampling weights was used for all analyses.RESULTSAmong Hispanics/Latinos without lung disease, those with DM had lower mean FEV1 and FVC values and a higher mean dyspnea score than those without DM (mean [95% CI] FEV1 3.00 [2.96–3.04] vs. 3.10 [3.09–3.11] L, P < 0.01; FVC 3.62 [3.59–3.66] vs. 3.81 [3.79–3.83] L, P < 0.001; dyspnea score 0.60 [0.49–0.71] vs. 0.41 [0.34–0.49], P < 0.001). Hispanics/Latinos with DM and macroalbuminuria showed 10% lower FVC (P < 0.001), 6% lower FEV1 (P < 0.001), and 2.5-fold higher dyspnea score (P = 0.04) than those without DM and with normoalbuminuria. Similar findings but with higher impairment in FVC were found in Hispanics/Latinos with lung disease.CONCLUSIONSHispanics/Latinos with DM have functional and symptomatic pulmonary impairment that mirror kidney microangiopathy. The progression of pulmonary impairment in adults with DM needs to be investigated further.

Patients with diabetes have decreased lung function compared with those without diabetes. Caucasians with diabetes have more global lung function impairment compared with African-Americans and Hispanics.

In a clinical setting, patients with diabetes have decreased lung function compared to their non-diabetic counterparts, independent of respiratory infections and heart failure.

Objective Cross-sectional and prospective studies have linked cardiovascular events and traditional risk factors (TRFs) with higher plasma fibrinogen levels. In a young cohort, we sought to determine longitudinal associations between changes in/development of TRFs and fibrinogen levels over 13 years. Methods We included 2525 adults from the CARDIA study, aged 25-37 with fibrinogen and TRFs measured at year 7 (study baseline; 1992-1993); and year 20 (follow-up). Multiple linear regressions were used to compare mean changes in fibrinogen to TRFs. Results Mean fibrinogen increased by 71mg/dL vs. 70mg/dL (p=NS) in black vs. white men, and 78mg/dL vs. 68mg/dL (p<0.05) in black vs. white women, respectively over 13 years. After multivariable adjustments, fibrinogen generally rose with increasing BMI (p<0.001; all sex/race groups), LDL-cholesterol, log triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure; and fell with increasing HDL-cholesterol and physical activity. 13-year increase in fibrinogen for persons who quit smoking or became non-obese were comparable (p=NS) to that of never-smokers and never-obese persons. Conclusions Among young black and white men and women with few baseline cardiovascular risk factors, fibrinogen tracked longitudinally with changes in TRFs over 13 years through middle-age. There was a strong inverse longitudinal relationship between modifiable risk factors (weight loss/smoking cessation) and 13-year change in fibrinogen. Our study helps provide some insight into the role of fibrinogen as a disease marker in the associations between fibrinogen and CVD.