Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan African countries, and its coexistence with diabetes mellitus (DM) is affecting more and more people. It has been observed that each disease may adversely affect the outcomes of the other, in terms of delayed diagnosis and healing, severity of symptoms, and mortality. There seems to be a higher prevalence of patients with TB that also have diabetes mellitus, but not vice versa.
This could be partially explained by social determinants of health (SDH), meaning the social conditions in which patients are born, grow up, and live. For example, malnutrition and physical inactivity lead patients with TB to stimulate the increase of glucose levels, which makes the development diabetes mellitus more likely.
We must therefore implement a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to TB and diabetes mellitus to improve prevention and treatment.