Risk factors for the development and persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in patients with type 2 diabetes

To study the risk factors for the development and persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients from our health zone. Observational and laboratory prospective cohort study. women and men with type 2 DM from the 2 health centers of Petrer (Alicante). questionnaire including particular and epidemiological data. Laboratory values: biochemistry, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C, microalbuminuria, urinary sediment and urine culture. A total of 457 patients with type 2 DM were included; 63.2% women and 36.8% men. The prevalence of AB at baseline was 19.9% (25.6% in women vs 10.1% in men). 78.02% had persistence of AB after the twelve months of follow-up; 21.7% developed symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) and 35.2% were treated with antimicrobial agents for any reason different from UTI during the follow-up period. The persistence of AB at the end of the study was 15.5%. Female sex (p = 0.04), leukocyturia (p = 0.008), urinary incontinence (p = 0.04) and elevated C reactive protein concentration (p = 0.009) remained significant risk factors for the presence and the persistence of AB when the multivariate logistical regression analysis was done. The presence of UTI within one year before the study started (p= 0.024) and previous antibiotic treatments (p = 0.04) were also independent significant factors associated with persistent AB. 84.5% of diabetic patients with persistent AB had the same infective organism in the urine culture as those found during the initial AB. In patients with type 2 diabetes, female sex, urinary incontinence, leukocyturia, and elevated C reactive protein concentration were associated with development of AB. The same occurred with obesity in women and prostatic syndrome in men. The persistence of AB with the same species of isolated microorganisms as those found in AB at study entry is frequent, but it remains to be known if eradication of pathogens is more difficult in diabetic patients or, alternatively, if AB episodes are transient.