REVIEW ABOUT DIABETES MELLITUS AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a clinical disease correlated with a deficiency of insulin secretion or action. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The global burden of diabetes is rising due to increasing obesity and population aging. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common microbial infections known to affect the different parts of the urinary tract accounting for major antibacterial drug consumption. About 150 million UTI cases were diagnosed every year. Urinary tract infections are the most important and most common site of infections in a diabetic patient. Diabetic patients have been found to have a 5-fold frequency of acute pyelonephritis at autopsy than non-diabetics. Most of the urinary tract infections in patients with diabetes are relatively asymptomatic. The presence of this syndrome predisposes to much more severe infections, particularly in patients with acute ketoacidosis, poor diabetic control, diabetic complications such as neuropathy, vasculopathy, and nephropathy. The Gram-negative aerobic bacilli are the large group of bacterial pathogens that cause UTI with few species of Gram-positive bacteria. However, some fungi, parasites, and viruses have also been reported to invade the urinary tract. Urinary tract infection affects women more than men due to several factors such as proximity of the genital tract to the urethra, anatomy of the female urethra, sexual activity, menopause, and pregnancy. Other possible risk factors of UTI include allergy, obesity, diabetes, past history of UTI, contraceptive use, catheter use, and family history.