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We are still in the world of hypothesis. But we must not underestimate the invisible “enemy”, which must first of all be anticipated by paying attention to the rules of prevention, from the use of masks to obviously vaccination.
Among the pitfalls that the Sars-CoV-2 virus can hide, in fact, there is also the possibility that the infection in some subjects may leave as a result the appearance of changes in blood sugar, resulting in an increased risk of presenting diabetes. This is confirmed by the experts of the Italian Society of Endocrinology.
What correlation between diabetes and viruses?
According to Francesco Giorgino, President of the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE), there is a need to study this situation in depth and it is necessary to monitor the possible correlation between new coronavirus infection and the risk of developing changes in blood sugar even once healed “. – says Giorgino, full professor of Endocrinology at the University of Bari Aldo Moro and President of SIE.
“Several studies have shown that the coronavirus can infect the cells of the pancreas, both the exocrine portion that produces digestive enzymes, and the endocrine portion of the organ that produces insulin – explains Giorgino, who is professor of Endocrinology at the Aldo Moro University. of Bari. Covid patients who had normal blood glucose before infection often have an increase in blood glucose values during illness. In addition, some work has shown that Covid patients have manifested blood glucose control disorders even after overcoming the new coronavirus infection. The cytokine storm triggered by the new coronavirus infection can favor metabolic imbalances and alterations in glycemic control “.
In particular, a study conducted by Laura Montefusco and Paolo Fiorina of the Division of Endocrinology, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, of Milan, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, shows that even months after recovery from Covid, many patients have glycemic disorders.
The study followed 551 previously normoglycemic patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Italy: during the infection, 46% of patients had elevated blood glucose that occurred during hospitalization, while 27% were normoglycemic (normal blood glucose).
Scientists have shown alterations in metabolic control in patients, with insulin resistance and an abnormal profile of cytokines that promote inflammation, even after the infection has been overcome. Glycemic abnormalities can also be observed for at least two months in patients recovered from COVID-19. The data, therefore, demonstrate that COVID-19 is associated with aberrant metabolic control, which may persist after recovery from the infection.
And again, a study also in the journal Nature Metabolism, conducted by Matthias Laudes of the Schleswig-Holstein University of Kiel, in Germany presents the case of a young patient with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, who fell ill with autoimmune diabetes. or insulin-dependent (diabetes 1) just in conjunction with the infection.
Beware of Long-Covid
“These and numerous other clinical evidences – says the expert – suggest the need for further investigations on metabolic abnormalities in the context of the so-called“ long Covid ”; it would be important to try to follow over time the subjects recovered from Covid, for example those who have experienced alterations in glycemic control during the infection, to see if the alterations in glycemia persist in the long term and if these subjects develop diabetes “.
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