Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes in Tuberculosis-Diabetes ComorbidCases: A Regional Study

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health issue, with India bearing a substantial diseaseburden. The co-existence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) further complicates TB outcomes due to compromisedimmunity.Aim: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and demographic profiles of patients with TB-DM comorbidity in aregional setting in Bihar, India.Methodology: This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Sri Krishna MedicalCollege and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur, Bihar, from November 2017 to October 2018. A total of 90 newlydiagnosed TB patients aged over 18 years, including 50 with diabetes and 40 without, were enrolled. Baselinedata were collected, and patients were followed through the intensive and continuation phases of anti-TB treatmentunder ‘the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP). Statistical analysis was performed usingSPSS v27.0.Results: Diabetic TB patients were predominantly male and over 50 years of age. They also exhibited higherfasting, postprandial, and random blood sugar levels, and longer smoking duration (p<0.05). Pulmonary TB wasmore common among diabetics (98% vs. 67.5%). Common symptoms included cough (78.7%) and fever (56%).TB-DM patients had higher cure rates (63.63%) but also higher mortality (66.6%) compared to non-diabetics.Conclusion: TB-DM comorbidity presents unique clinical challenges with older age, higher risk behaviors, andelevated mortality. Integration of diabetes screening and management into TB care, especially in high-burdenregions like Bihar, is crucial for improving outcomes.