Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes

CF-related diabetes is seen in up to 20% of adult patients with CF. The manifestations of the disease are with weight loss and rapid decline in lung function.

Glucose levels fluctuate for the first few years, but are consistently raised during exacerbations. Diet is not a suitable management for CF-related diabetes. The use of oral hypoglycaemic agents is controversial. The treatment of choice is injectable insulin.

Due to the short life latency of CF patients and that this may be due to the different natural history of the disease, microvascular complications of CF-related diabetes are not common. The condition is not a contraindication for organ transplantation when it is well-controlled.

Reference

• Lanng S. Diabetes mellitus in CF patients. In: Hodson ME, Geddes DM (eds). Cystic Fibrosis, 2nd edn. London: Arnold, 2000:329.