An Italian study has found that about half of the patients admitted to hospital for COVID-19 during the onset of the pandemic had new cases of hyperglycemia or high blood sugar levels. They also had worse results.
About 46 percent of the patients had new hyperglycemia . While most cases resolved, about 35 percent of patients with recent hyperglycemia remained that way for at least six months after infection.
Abnormal hormone levels
The study evaluated the health of 551 people admitted to hospital in Italy from March to May 2020. A follow-up period included six months after hospital admission.
For more information, all patients were fitted with a glucose sensor at the time of admission. Over time, the researchers detected many abnormalities in glucose metabolic control in hyperglycemic patients . They also found that the hyperglycemic patients had abnormal hormone levels.
While glucometabolic abnormalities decreased over time in some patients, particularly after COVID-19 infection, others remained. Many patients had higher postprandial (after eating) glucose levels and abnormal pancreatic hormones in the post-COVID-19 period.
When you consider how many patients have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and are continuing around the world, we may see a large increase in the diabetic population, according to the study authors .