Poorly managed diabetes increases risk of more severe COVID

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In a new study from the University of Texas, researchers found that hospitalized patients with diabetes who hadn’t been taking their medication had more severe cases of COVID-19

The results highlight the importance of assessing, monitoring and controlling blood sugar in hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the start.

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans with diabetes reported that due to the financial pressures of the pandemic, they had to choose between buying food or buying medications and medical supplies to manage their diabetes.

In the study, the team examined the impact of having uncontrolled diabetes—or a lack of medication—had on COVID-19 severity.

About 40% of Americans who have died of COVID-19 have had diabetes, and 1 in 10 people with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19 die within one week.

The study used medical records from 369 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the University Medical Center of El Paso.

The team found that patients with unmanaged diabetes had much greater severity of COVID-19—based on quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment and length of hospitalization—compared to patients who managed diabetes with medication.

Patients with lower blood sugar levels had less severe complications and shorter hospital stays.

The team says it is important to assess, monitor and control blood sugar in hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the beginning.

If you care about COVID-19, please read studies about this antiviral drug could effectively stop spread and damage of COVID-19 and findings of this common habit linked to severe COVID-19 and death.

For more information about COVID-19 and your health, please see recent studies about this drug can fully prevent symptomatic COVID-19 infections and results showing that why some people have severe COVID-19, while others have no symptoms.

The study was presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting. One author of the study is Sudip Bajpeyi.

Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.