March 24 ------ People may be at increased risk for developing diabetes for up to a year after a diagnosis of COVID-19, according to two studies. One study used data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to track more than 181,000 adults with COVID-19 for a year after recovery. Comparing these patients to more than 8 million people not infected with the coronavirus, researchers found that among every 1,000 people, there were 13 more new cases of diabetes among the COVID-19 patients after 12 months than among the uninfected individuals.
The COVID-19 group also had an extra 12 people per thousand who started taking medication for diabetes. Overall, two of every 100 people with COVID-19 developed diabetes in the year afterward, Ziyad Al-Aly of the VA St. Louis Health Care System said on Twitter. After accounting for other risk factors, including how often subjects in both groups saw their doctors, that translated to a 40% higher risk after COVID-19, his team reported on Monday in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The higher risk for diabetes was evident even in people who had mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 and even in people who did not have any other risk factors for diabetes, Al-Aly told Reuters.
In a separate study of 35,865 people with COVID-19 published last week in Diabetologia, researchers found a 28% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to a group with non-COVID upper respiratory infections. Nearly all new cases in both studies were type 2 diabetes, which can sometimes be controlled by weight loss and diet changes. The authors all recommend that COVID-19 survivors with symptoms of diabetes, such as excessive thirst or frequent urination should seek medical attention.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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