Participants
hepatitis B, acute infectious disease, meningitis, cancer, diabetes type 2 and healthy controls, a mental disorder, diabetes type 2, and c, substance abuse, diabetes
HEPATITIS B, MALIGNANT NEOPLASM, CANCER, DEGENERATIVE, DISEASE, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, MENINGITIS, ACUTE RHINITIS, BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA, ACUTE INFECTIOUS DISEASE, DIABETES TYPE 1, DISEASES, DIABETES
Patients diagnosed with diabetes type 2 and healthy controls were included in the study. Healthy controls were matched for age (the mean age of the groups was matched ±1 year) and sex to the patients’ group. Inclusion criteria for the patients were as follows: a) being older than 18 years, b) current diagnosis of diabetes type 2, and c) taking metformin and/or participating in a lifestyle intervention (e.g., diet) to control their diabetes. Exclusion criteria for both healthy subjects and patients were as follows: a) use of insulin or insulin stimulating medications; b) use of medication that influences glucose metabolism (e.g., corticosteroid medication, chemotherapy, β-blockers); c) diagnosis of a chronic noncommunicable disease (degenerative diseases, malignant neoplasms such as cancer, diabetes type 1, autoimmune diseases); d) diagnosis of an acute infectious disease (such as meningitis, hepatitis B, and bacterial pneumonia); e) current diagnosis of a mental disorder; f) chronic and/or acute rhinitis; g) anatomic deviations of the nose; h) substance abuse (e.g., drugs or alcohol); and i) pregnancy.The sample size calculation was based on the results of the study with a comparable design in healthy participants, which reported an effect size of 