Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in persons with tuberculosis in a tertiary health centre in Lagos, Nigeria

CONTEXT: In Nigeria, much has been reported on the unacceptably high disease burden of Tuberculosis (TB) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) but not the possible co-existence of these diseases. AIM: This study was conducted to document the co-existence of DM and TB in persons with established TB. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a Tertiary hospital's Directly Observed Therapy short course clinic in Lagos, South west, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and fifty one consecutive patients with TB who consented to the study participated after a written consent. Ethical approval was given by the Ethics committee of the institution. Clinical examination for documentation of anthropometric indices and biochemical evaluation for blood glucose levels were carried out. RESULTS: The prevalence of DM among the patients with TB was 5.7%. About half of the diabetics were diagnosed (2.8%) at the screening. The mean age of the participants was 34.9 ± 13.21 years; the mean duration of symptoms of TB was 9.65 ± 9.49 months. Weight (kg) loss was the most predominant symptom occurring in 94% of the patients. There was no significant difference in the sputum positivity and duration of cough among patients with TB-DM and those with TB alone. CONCLUSION: Diabetes is an important co-morbid feature to be sought in patients with TB. This study re-echo the need to raise awareness on screening for DM in persons with TB.