High Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in a Cohort of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Trinidad, West Indies.

Objectives: Both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are highly prevalent in Trinidad, West Indies. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of DM in a cohort of Trinidadian patients with COPD and investigate the possible impact of diabetes on COPD using standard outcome measures, that is, lung function, exacerbations, quality of life and depression questionnaires, as well as mortality.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional follow-up study utilizing a cohort of 105 patients from chest clinics in the three major general hospitals in Trinidad.