Objective: To determine the effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus on lung function and its gravity in relation to the duration of disease.
Methods: We carried out this study in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Diabetic Center, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period 2003-2004. We randomly selected a group of 27 apparently healthy volunteer Saudi male type 1 diabetic patients with age ranging from 19-70 years. We matched the diabetic patients with another group of 27 control healthy male subjects in terms of age, height, weight and socioeconomic status. Both groups met with exclusion criteria as per standard. We performed spirometry on an Electronic Spirometer (Schiller AT-2 Plus, Switzerland) and compared the results by a student t-test (2-tailed).
Results: Type 1 diabetic patients showed a significant reduction in the forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) relative to their matched controls. However, there was no significant difference in the forced expiratory ratio, forced expiratory flow; forced expiratory flow and peak expiratory flow (PEF) between the groups.
Conclusion: It is concluded that lung function in type 1 diabetic patients is impaired by a decrease in FVC and FEV1 as compared to their matched controls. Additionally, the years of disease showed a dose-response effect on lung function.