Those with Covid history contributing to diabetes case burden, Indraprastha Apollo hospital

PTI, Nov 13, 2021, 8:59 AM IST

New Delhi: At least 25 per cent of newly reported diabetes cases have a confirmed history of COVID-19, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital authorities said here on Friday citing its OPD data of close to two years.

They said that in people with a confirmed history of moderate to severe coronavirus infection, various recurring and new health ailments have been reported.

Experts at the hospital said inflammatory reactions after Covid could include, hypoxia, weakness, weight loss, hair loss, myocarditis, thyroid and diabetes which is being reported as one of the most common diseases.

Various global studies have reported the increasing prevalence of newly diagnosed diabetes cases having a history of COVID-19, the hospital group claimed in a statement.

Basis this available insight, doctors at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals studied this development and noted the same through an ”exhaustive internal OPD data” from close to two years, it claimed.

Dr Subhash Kumar Wangnoo, senior consultant endocrinologist and diabetologist, at Apollo Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said, ”Our data from OPDs have shown that in patients who had confirmed Covid infection, nearly 25 per cent were new-onset diabetic patients.

”Stress-induced hyperglycemia was seen in 10 per cent of patients who had Covid infection. In patients of established diabetes (already diabetic) more than 60 per cent showed worsening of glycemic status, which persisted for more than 3 months,” he said.

Diabetes in itself is a pro-inflammatory state posing a risk of an inflammatory response along with COVID-19 which leads to the aggravation of blood sugar levels, the statement said.

The use of steroids due to serious manifestations of COVID-19 in treatment further worsened the glucose levels in the patients. Stress response due to acute infection like Covid, increases the blood surpasses values through Hb1ac, which may be normal, experts said.

”This we term as new onset of diabetes due to COVID-19,” they said.