COVID-19 may trigger new diabetes, warns several studies

As the coronavirus spreads further, doctors around the world have been stating that diabetic patients could be at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 related complications. There has been a growing school of thought which has claimed that the coronavirus could be affecting the pancreas and causing high levels of hyperglycemia or high levels of sugar amongst the patients.

Diabetes a disorder that causes the blood sugar level to rise. It can also decrease the efficiency of the immune system, putting diabetics at a higher risk of contraction of any diseases, like the novel coronavirus. However, researches now state that it is not just people with existing diabetes condition who are affected by the COVID-19, but in fact, the viral infection can trigger new diabetes in absolutely healthy people as well. A letter has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This letter has announced the establishment of a global registry of new cases of diabetes in the patients suffering from the coronavirus.

The letter has been signed by an international group of 17 leading diabetes experts involved in the CoviDiab project which is a collaborative international research initiative including Monash University Professor of Diabetes, Paul Zimmet. The registry is now trying to comprehend the properties and extent of diabetes in these patients, and the consequences it can have. This will help researchers further understand the plan of action for the treatment of such patients.

According to researchers, there is a bidirectional relationship between coronavirus and diabetes. On the one hand, diabetes is correlated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19. On the other hand, new-onset diabetes and severe metabolic complications of pre-existing diabetes, including diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolarity for which exceptionally high doses of insulin are warranted, have been observed in patients suffering from the coronavirus. These manifestations of diabetes pose challenges in clinical management and suggest complex pathophysiology of COVID-19–related diabetes.