Can COVID-19 Trigger Diabetes?
New-Onset Diabetes and COVID-19:
New-onset diabetes is increasingly reported in COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) individuals with no history of diabetes. Infection-induced inflammation and cytokine activation, along with the resultant insulin resistance, could lead to stress hyperglycemia. As a result, determining the extent of the virus's damage to insulin-producing islet cells becomes challenging. There may be a decrease in insulin synthesis and release.
Another viral trigger is COVID-19. It can exacerbate blood sugar regulation and cause diabetic ketoacidosis. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who have just received a diagnosis may experience this. Children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection are at increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes, a new United Kingdom study suggests.
COVID-19 and Pancreatitis:
SARS-CoV-2 infection (respiratory infection) patients showed more severe acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) than SARS-CoV-1 patients. This may be due to infection of islet cells, new-onset diabetes, and hyperglycemia. Researchers reported a case of moderate pancreatitis with a benign course. The patients exhibited pancreatic injury due to an abnormal elevation of lipase or amylase.
Not all patients with elevated amylase or lipase levels will have the full criteria of acute pancreatitis, and therefore, clinical correlation is important. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting can be suggestive of involvement of the pancreas. Careful monitoring of the metabolic status is also important because the pancreas may aggravate the glycemic control during and after the infection. The long-term outcomes of the pancreas post-COVID-19 are not clear.
Possible Viruses Causing Beta Cell Damage:
Many viruses are known to be associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), namely enterovirus, mumps, rubella, and CMV (cytomegalovirus). There is evidence linking viral infections to diabetes. Viruses may also trigger beta-cell autoimmunity. Early exposure to such infections can help train the immune system and may lower the risk of autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.
How Does COVID-19 Induce Diabetes?
Following a COVID-19 episode, a person may be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for the following three reasons.
Although the illness is present, it has not yet been identified.
The patient may have had prediabetes before developing diabetes as a result of acute inflammation and steroid treatment. For instance, the acute stressor raised their insulin resistance to the point where a relative lack of insulin production was apparent, and their blood glucose level exceeded normal.
The individual may have been genetically predisposed to mild stressors, such as being slightly sedentary and overweight, but not obese.
High doses of steroids for COVID-19 treatment, as well as insulin resistance caused by infection, led to more demand for insulin. However, the body could not make more to keep normal amounts of sugar in the blood.
If you have had COVID-19, the following are warning signs that you may have developed diabetes:
Frequent urination during the day or experiencing nighttime urination.
Blurry vision and increased thirst.
Inability to put back the weight lost during a serious illness.
Slow healing of wounds.
Exhaustion, however, is the majority of COVID patients experience fatigue for a long time following the acute illness.
Can You Prevent Diabetes After COVID-19?
The goal is to lose approximately 15 pounds. It can slow the progression of type 2 diabetes by a considerable amount, based on research among persons with prediabetes. The initial weight loss of 15 pounds is important; however, losing excess weight may be helpful.
However, if you lost a significant amount of weight during the acute illness, your objective should be to gain muscle without regaining all the lost weight. It is reasonable for him to aim for a body mass index less than 25.
Create a consistent exercise regimen. This will slow the development of type 2 diabetes and help maintain body weight and insulin sensitivity. Walking every day can be a simple form of this exercise.
Examine your diet before COVID. Start by making a few minor adjustments to maintain or lose weight, such as drinking water instead of sugar-filled beverages.
During your initial post-discharge visit, have a formal diabetes test performed by your primary care physician. Request another test six months after discharge, and then every year thereafter.
Why Is It Important to Seek Medical Help for Diabetes?
Uncontrolled hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, damages blood vessels and nerves in the body, which can harm the heart, kidneys, and eyes in addition to causing amputation-related loss of feeling in the feet. Additionally, hyperglycemia is linked to muscle and liver fat buildup, which can result in heart failure and fatty liver disease.
Diabetes is frequently diagnosed with these consequences of hyperglycemia. In the case where blood sugar is high following COVID-19, complications might have already started, as it normally takes about five years of high sugar for them to develop. Early strict glucose control can retard or halt these complications.
We must be careful not to assume that COVID-19-related high sugar automatically means progression to type 2 diabetes. However, people can take steps to limit or delay progression to diabetes.
Conclusion
COVID-19 is an infectious disease and can affect people of any age. High blood sugar may be a risk factor for severe disease and death from COVID-19. The virus may also provoke high blood sugar or make it worse, creating a vicious circle. Attention to comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia further reduces the risk of developing long-term diabetes.
Yet the association between diabetes and COVID-19 is still not established. Some challenges need to be addressed, such as beta cell damage, hyperglycemia, the effects of lockdown, and the destruction of islet cells. Cases with new onset of diabetes were reported post-COVID-19 infection among children and adults. For more details, you can consult a diabetic specialist.
Key Takeaways
COVID-19 results in an imbalance of glucose homeostasis regulation, leading to the development of diabetes and hyperglycaemia.
The early diagnosis benefit is that there is an opportunity to intervene to slow or postpone the development of hyperglycemia that satisfies the diagnostic criteria.
Education of the patient after COVID-19 improves adherence to preventive strategies and also motivates them towards early medical attention.
Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising frequently, and eating a balanced diet can all lower the risk of developing diabetes.
