Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : May 11, 2022 4:01 PM IST
Growing evidence suggests that people with chronic diseases are at greater risk of developing severe COVID-19 or dying from the disease. Another study has revealed that diabetes patients are almost three times as likely to be critically or severely ill and almost twice as likely to die with COVID compared to those without diabetes. The study results were published in the journal Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen, UK found that the risk of requiring an intensive care admission and supplementary oxygen or being admitted in a critical condition following a Covid-19 infection was significantly higher in diabetes patients in comparison to patients without diabetes.
They found that people with diabetes were 1.87 times more likely to die with COVID, 1.59 times more likely to be admitted to ICU, 1.44 times more likely to require ventilation and 2.88 times more likely to be classed as severe or critical, when compared to patients without diabetes.
The researchers noted that patients can significantly reduce this risk of severe COVID-19 and death by keeping good control of their blood sugar levels.
In the study paper, Stavroula Kastora from the varsity added that good glycaemic control may be a protective factor in view of Covid-19 related deaths.
The findings are based on the review of 158 studies that included over 270,000 participants from all over the world.
The results also showed that diabetes patients in China, Korea and the Middle East were at higher risk of COVID death than those from EU countries or the US. This may be due to differences in healthcare systems and affordability of healthcare, they suggested.
Kastora emphasised that strengthening outpatient diabetes clinics, ensuring consistent follow up of patients with diabetes and optimising their glycaemic control could significantly increase the chances of survival following a COVID-19 infection.
