Why does having diabetes put someone at greater risk from flu and its effects?

At Risk Group: Those with diabetes

  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin, oral hypoglycaemic drugs or diet controlled diabetes1

Risk
Infection with flu can lead to a loss of control of diabetes, which could require a hospital stay.2 As diabetes changes blood sugar levels and affects the patient's ability to fight off disease, bacteria can grow in the blood (septicaemia) and affect other organs.3 Finally, having flu puts the patient at risk of other complications, particularly pneunococcal infection.4

 

Nurse Jenny Greenfield, Flu Lead/Lead Nurse Cervical Screening Improvement, Public Health Directorate, discusses why people with diabetes are at risk from the serious effects of flu.

 

Diabetes - Slides

You can download the slides from the presentation here:

References

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1. Department of Health.  Immunisation against infectious disease (Green Book) May 2011. TSO

2. Brydak LB, Machala M. Humoral immune response to influenza vaccination in patients from high risk groups. Drugs 2000; 60(1): 35-53

3. Smith SA, Poland GA. Use of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in people with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2000; 23(1): 95-108

4. Musher DM. In Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds.  Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 4th Edition Churchill Livingstone; 1995 p1811-1826

For More Information...

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