A new study has revealed an association between COVID-19, and diabetes and heart disease which may be temporary. The two chronic diseases are part of the same cardio metabolic group, and are often avoidable with healthy lifestyles. The UK study suggests the risk of these is higher for up to 49 weeks after COVID infection. This appeared in Nature.Com but is still awaiting peer review.
Heart Disease and Diabetes More Likely After COVID-19
The researchers sourced their data from 13 million UK electronic primary care records. First they selected a sample of 428,000 COVID patients, and a similar matched number with no record of the disease. Their matching factors included age, sex, and practitioner clinic.
Then they examined their COVID-19 patient sample, to determine the extent to which they developed diabetes, or heart disease within a year of their infection. And finally, they completed the same exercise for the non-COVID group to compare results.
The calculation confirmed there was a higher chance of developing diabetes or heart disease within one year of COVID infection. Moreover, the researchers also allowed for comorbidities such as body mass index and blood pressure in their analyses.
Weighing Up and Assessing these Findings
The headline finding was quite dramatic. The team found 81% more diabetes diagnoses in the study group than the control one. And the greater risk remained 27% higher between week 4 and week 12, before it gradually evaporated after 23 weeks.
Moreover, there was also a six-times-greater chance of developing heart disease during the first 4 weeks after infection. Within this cluster pulmonary embolisms were 11 times more likely. But the higher risk of heart disease steadily declined after five weeks, and evaporated by week 12.
However, it is important to remember the study took place while the subjects were under medical treatment. Therefore it is possible some of the conditions predated the COVID-19 infections but were only spotted then. Nonetheless, there was clear evidence of a relationship.
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