Epidemiology
No recent studies have been published on the prevalence
of ASB in women with diabetes mellitus. The
prevalence of ASB is known to be higher in women
with diabetes mellitus than in those without diabetes
mellitus [1].
A study using general practice data from the
years 1990–2007 in the United Kingdom confirmed
previously described increased adjusted hazard ratio
of UTI of 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45–
1.60] in diabetic compared with nondiabetic
women. The UTI incidence rate was 72.8/1000 person-
years (95% CI 70.6–75.0) in women with diabetes.
The incidence was higher in women with
previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus than in
women who were recently (within 6 months) diagnosed
(91.9/1000 person-years, 95% CI 84.3–99.4
vs. 70.5/1000 person-years, 95% CI 68.2–72.8) [2&].
Confounders such as age or increased regular
check-ups resulting in more diagnostic investigations
may be the basis for the increased infection
rates found in patients with diabetes. A study analysing
healthcare-associated infections in Turkey
found that UTI was the most common infection
in patients with diabetes mellitus (37.2% of all
infections), which was significantly higher than in
patients without diabetes mellitus (29.8%). However,
after adjusting for age and sex, no difference
in UTI incidence between patients with and without
diabetes mellitus was present