Why people with diabetes have more UTIs and how to prevent infections – Medical News Today
A new study finds that high blood glucose levels in people with diabetes result in a relative lack of psoriasin, an important natural antibiotic that protects against urinary tract infections.The researchers also demonstrated that topically applied estrogen cream could help restore the levels of psoriasin in women.Experts offer tips to help people avoid urinary tract infections, whether or not they have diabetes.
Infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs), are common experiences fo…….
- A new study finds that high blood glucose levels in people with diabetes result in a relative lack of psoriasin, an important natural antibiotic that protects against urinary tract infections.
- The researchers also demonstrated that topically applied estrogen cream could help restore the levels of psoriasin in women.
- Experts offer tips to help people avoid urinary tract infections, whether or not they have diabetes.
Infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs), are common experiences for people with diabetes. UTIs are also often more severe in people with diabetes than they are in those without diabetes. UTIs may lead to serious kidney problems in those with diabetes, such as renal abscesses, emphysematous cystitis and pyelonephritis, and renal papillary necrosis.
In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin that regulates blood glucose levels. In type 2, cells become less sensitive to insulin. With both types, excessive glucose levels in the blood can reduce the effectiveness of one’s immune system.
Dr. Jason Ng of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, not involved in the study, explained to Medical News Today, “The higher sugars create a series of impaired defense mechanisms which people use to protect against UTIs.”
Now, a study from researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet investigates the mechanism behind glucose’s effect.
The study finds that high glucose levels in diabetes reduce levels of one of the body’s natural antibiotics, the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, an important barrier against infection.
Urologist Dr. S. Adam Ramin, also not involved in the research, described the usual role of psoriasin to MNT:
“It’s known that this particular protein is an initial line of defense against certain bacterial infections. And now, based on this study, it appears that this particular protein is downregulated — meaning that it is not made at as high a concentration as in people who don’t have diabetes — and therefore may be one of the pathways that makes diabetic patients more susceptible to infections.”
“We have observed that patients with diabetes have [a] higher risk of UTIs,” said Dr. Ng. “So this process could further elucidate why this observation exists.”
The researchers analyzed urine, urinary bladder cells, and blood serum samples from adult volunteers who were non-diabetic or who had prediabetes or diabetes. The study did not include people with current UTI diagnoses.
The analysis …….
