Tuberculosis in diabetic patient

Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are major global health problem. The link between DM and TB has been recognized for centuries. And, there are growing evidences that diabetes is a risk factor for tuberculosis. However, the risk varies according to races and regional prevalence, but limited data is available in South Korea. The report of Park et al. showed that the relative odds ratio was 2.220 (95% CI 1.090~4.523) in diabetic group, compared with hypertensive group. Although this study has some limitations, it is a meaningful data. A large-scale multi-center prospective study is needed in Korean population. (Korean J Med 79:643-645, 2010)