Type 2 Diabetes and the Lung - Cause and Consequence

The purpose of this review is to synthesize literature investigating the relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obstructive airway diseases and to identify implications for clinical care.

Type 2 diabetes is a common and challenging comorbidity in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Basic, translational and clinical studies support a bidirectional association between T2D and the lung. In animal models and human studies, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia are associated with pulmonary inflammation, respiratory exacerbation risk and disease severity. Corticosteroids are a mainstay for respiratory disease control and exacerbation treatment but promote ongoing metabolic dysregulation. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials of glucose-lowering medications for asthma are actively ongoing. Additional studies addressing clinical pathways to co-manage respiratory and metabolic risk are needed. Patients with comorbid T2D and asthma or COPD are at risk for worse outcomes. There are opportunities to improve cross-disciplinary care, potentially reducing risk and multimorbidity associated with both conditions.