Coronavirus can cause diabetes. According to scientists, this is “highly likely”

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who become infected with the coronavirus can have serious complications. It turns out, however, that diabetes can also be a problem for people who have not suffered from this disease so far. Scientists believe COVID-19 could possibly trigger diabetes.

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Coronavirus can cause diabetes

Last year, an increase in the incidence of diabetes was observed around the world, according to Live Science. In turn, Scientific American wrote about new cases of the disease in people who contracted COVID-19. So the researchers concluded that there must be some link between SARS-CoV-2 and diabetes.

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Researchers from King’s College in London and Monash University in Australia have created the international CoviDiab report, enabling doctors around the world to report on patients with COVID-19 who develop diabetes. So far, over 350 cases have been reported in this way. It turned out that the patients developed both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

– We start to think that the relationship is probably real. The virus can cause disturbances in sugar metabolism – commented in an interview with the Guardian Francesco Rubino, professor and head of metabolic and bariatric surgery at King’s College London

Eight other studies also support the link between COVID-19 and diabetes. For 3 thousand. 700 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were diagnosed with diabetes in 14%. people. In turn, as reported by «The Guardian», 47 thousand. of patients from Great Britain, 4,9% of patients developed diabetes.

– We see people who develop diabetes. COVID-19 is highly likely to cause the disease, Dr. Remi Rabasa-Lhoret of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute commented on CTV News.

How does SARS-CoV-2 cause diabetes?

Scientists are still puzzling over how COVID-19 triggers diabetes. They have several theories to explain this relationship. According to Scientific American, SARS-CoV-2 can directly attack insulin-producing cells, but also damage them by infecting other parts of the pancreas and even blood vessels. Another theory is that the virus may attack other organs that are involved in regulating blood sugar, such as the gut. In doing so, it can affect the body’s ability to lower glucose levels.

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Next, prof. Mihail Zilbermint, Dr. Mihail Zilbermint, an endocrinologist and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, spoke to CTV News about the fact that COVID-19 patients can be treated with steroid drugs such as dexamethasone. They can raise blood sugar levels. This, in turn, can lead to the development of a chronic disease. According to prof. Zilberminta in people who contracted the coronavirus, the disease could have developed earlier.

– It is possible that the patient has been living with pre-diabetes for many years and does not even know it. Now they have COVID-19, and the infection pushes them to develop diabetes – explained Prof. Zilbermint.

Can diabetes after COVID-19 be cured?

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are chronic diseases. At present, scientists are not yet able to say whether the same will be true for COVID-19 diabetes. In 2010, diabetic symptoms were observed in people infected with SARS-CoV-1. In their case, the disease disappeared after some time. It is therefore possible that diabetes induced by SARS-CoV-2 will disappear some time after its onset, and the patients’ blood sugar levels will return to normal.

Also read:

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