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Diabetes: Infections Are a Hidden Major Health Hazard
9 Jun
Summary
- Infections are a major health hazard for people with diabetes.
- Diabetes patients face a higher risk of serious infections.
- Infections are a top cause of death for type 2 diabetes patients.
Infections represent a significant and often underestimated health hazard for individuals across the diabetes spectrum, from type 1 and type 2 diabetes to prediabetes. This critical risk is frequently not given sufficient attention in existing clinical guidelines, despite the growing global population of individuals living with diabetes.
The findings, published on June 6, 2026, in the journal Diabetes, analyzed over 800,000 people with diabetes or prediabetes. The study revealed a substantially elevated risk of both primary care-treated and hospital-severe infections among these individuals compared to a control group.
For those with type 2 diabetes, infections emerged as the third leading cause of death, following heart disease and cancer. Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections were identified as the most common reasons for hospitalization among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and also a leading cause of infection-related mortality in type 2 diabetes cases.
Researchers advocate for greater emphasis on infection risk within UK, European, and US guidelines. Enhancing global guidance aims to elevate awareness among healthcare professionals, facilitating earlier recognition and prompt intervention to decrease avoidable hospital admissions and deaths. The study links increased infection risk directly to elevated blood sugar levels.
