Bronchial reactivity in diabetic patients. Relationship to duration of diabetes and degree of glycemic control
M. P. Villa, E. Cacciari, F. Bernardi, A. Cicognani, S. Salardi and F. Zapulla
Department of Pediatrics, University of Bologna, Italy.
Bronchial reactivity was studied via carbachol testing in 46 patients
affected by type 1 diabetes mellitus and in 30 control subjects and via
exercise testing in 55 diabetic patients and 60 control subjects. In all
subjects, reactivity to skin allergen tests, the existence of atopic
illnesses, and family history for these diseases were evaluated. Diabetic
patients were less affected by asthma than control subjects, although their
family history of atopy is greater. Bronchial reactivity, as expressed by
the results of carbachol testing, was lower in diabetic patients than in
control subjects. Furthermore, the duration of disease in diabetic patients
was positively correlated with the results of carbachol testing. Reduced
bronchial reactivity might be an indication of initial damage to the
autonomic nervous system, which would thus appear to be both a complication
and a protective factor.
