Diabetes after COVID-19. Six red flags and new findings

Already at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors began to observe cases of diabetes after it had passed through the infection. Questions arose, are they previously undiagnosed problems or a new disease, and if so, what caused it, what symptoms to look for? The mystery is clarified by a recent study by scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital.

1. Diabetes is detected in some patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Scientists are looking for answers about the cause of this phenomenon
2. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital believe that the problem is usually temporary and is the result of a coronavirus infection. This is the conclusion of the study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.
3. Symptoms that may indicate diabetes after COVID-19 and which should lead to research include, among others, excessive and frequent urination, excessive thirst, slow wound healing
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5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Cases of diabetes after COVID-19 were already observed at the beginning of the pandemic

Complications after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a problem that scientists and doctors are increasingly seeing. They already affect millions of people around the world. No wonder that more and more studies and analyzes are devoted to the consequences of the COVID-19 transition. Recently, the “Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications” published the results of the work of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (USA), they concerned a rather mysterious issue, namely the cases of diabetes after coronavirus infection observed at the beginning of the pandemic.

1. New complications have been discovered after COVID-19. “We don’t want to hear about it, but it’s important”

This is not the first study of diabetes cases after COVID-19. In one earlier study, English scientists analyzed the results of over 47. people who were admitted to hospital because of the coronavirus before August 2020. Scientists monitored their health for seven months after leaving the hospital and found that about 5 percent of of them developed diabetes. It was also estimated that hospitalized COVID-19 patients were 1,5 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes after recovery than those of the same age who avoided the hospital.

Further part below the video.

Experts have been asking for a long time whether these are new cases of diabetes, or maybe previously undiagnosed problems, whether the coronavirus directly causes diabetes, or are there other factors that could explain this relationship? It is already known that pre-existing diabetes in patients with coronavirus increases the risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and death.

Massachusetts General Hospital Scientists: Post-COVID-19 Diabetes Might Be Temporary

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers believe that many COVID-19 patients diagnosed with diabetes during hospitalization may only suffer from diabetes temporarily, and their condition is a result of infection with a pathogen. “We are convinced that the inflammation caused by COVID-19 may be the main cause of the cases now diagnosed,” says lead author Dr. Sara Cromer.

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This is the conclusion from the observation of nearly 600 people with symptoms of diabetes admitted to the hospital from March to September 2020. Their health status was monitored until July 2021. Of this group, 77 patients were not previously diagnosed with diabetes. Compared to patients already diagnosed with diabetes, these patients were distinguished by lower blood glucose levels, but a more severe form of COVID-19. After a year, half of these people had normal glucose levels and only 8 percent. required the administration of insulin.

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«This indicates that new cases of diabetes may be transient, related to acute stress from COVID-19 infection. This conclusion supports the clinical arguments that new cases of diabetes are caused by insulin resistance rather than by insulin deficiency caused by direct and permanent damage to insulin-producing cells. beta »explains Dr. Corner. The study therefore suggests that the main physiological mechanism we are dealing with here is stress hyperglycemia. These patients may only require insulin or other medications for a short time and it is essential that they are monitored for improvement.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that some people with COVID-19 may have had diabetes for a long time, and were only diagnosed during hospitalization due to the coronavirus.

Diabetes after COVID-19. Six red flags

How do you know if you are one of the people who may have developed hyperglycaemia after undergoing COVID-19? The basis is a blood test, but it all starts with observing your own body. The most common symptoms of diabetes that should draw your attention to you, see your doctor and get tests done are:

Excessive and frequent urination.

Excessive thirst.

Blurred vision.

Slow healing of cuts and wounds.

Feeling tired, problems with concentration.

Progressive weight loss.

1. Five signs that you should have your blood sugar checked.

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