[Changes of spirographic parameters in type 2 diabetes mellitus].

Unlabelled: Diabetes mellitus (DM), metabolic disease with chronic evolution, affects various organs through its macro- and micro-angiopathic complications which it causes, one of this target organs for diabetes being the lungs.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and the pulmonary function.

Material And Method: 50 non-smoking patients diagnosed with type 2 DM, without respiratory problems were included in this study. The control group consisted of 50 healthy volunteers with same age and height as those with diabetes. For all patients there were measured: height, weight, body mass index, plasma glucose, serum cholesterol, trigycerides. Then there were determined by computerized spirometry: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal expiratory flow at 50% from vital capacity (MEF50). These patients were re-evaluated after a 3-year period measuring the same parameters.

Results: The study has shown a statistically significant decrease of spirographic parameters (FVC, FEV1, PEF, MEF50) in patients with over 5 years of evolution of type 2 DM, by comparison with the control group. The higher the metabolic unbalance, the lower were these parameters.

Conclusions: Type 2 DM has long-term effects and determines disfunctions and deficiencies of various organs. Our study shows that the lung is a target organ for type 2 DM as well.