A frequent viral infection can raise your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in later life and you may not even realize that you have contracted the infection, found new research from Leiden University and the University of Tubingen in Germany. The CMV (Cytomegalovirus) is part of the herpes family which can be transmitted sexually.
This virus can also transmit through cough and sneeze and could affect more than half of all adults. The virus has a tendency to remain hidden and majority of sufferers do not exhibit any symptoms. However, if they do show symptoms, they are similar to flu. This virus is significant risk factor for diabetes in elderly.
In recent study the research team analyzed the information of more than five hundred adults in the Netherland. About eighty percent of adults were infected with the cytomegalovirus. The team found around seventeen percent of adults those infected with cytomegalovirus had developed type 2 diabetes. Only eight percent of those not infected with virus developed the condition.
One of the first known signs of type 2 diabetes is obesity and aging are known to be associated with insulin resistance. But, only a third of these people go on to develop the condition. Adults who develop type 2 diabetes usually have increased levels of biological markers for inflammation such as larger numbers of active white blood cells.
Chronic infections including CMV can put pressure the immune system. The cytomegalovirus could be acting directly on pancreatic cells or indirectly by causing the immune system to attack the pancreas. The study was published in journal Immunity and Ageing.