Undergraduate students in the Medical and Surgical Degree Program at the Institute of Health Sciences (ICSA-UAEH) of the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, MexicoMexico
Centro Universitario de Ciencias de a Salud [CUCS] Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
Academic Division of Medicine and Master’s Program in Biomedical Sciences (ICSA-UAEH), Institute of Health Sciences at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, MexicoMexico
Department of Psychology at the Institute of Health Sciences (ICSA-UAEH) of the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, MexicoMexico
Department of Nursing at the (ICSA-UAEH) Institute of Health Sciences at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, MexicoMexico
Department of Pharmacy and MSP Coordination at the (ICSA-UAEH) Institute of Health Sciences of the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, MexicoMexico
7Independent Researcher, Former Researcher, Academic Division of Medicine, UAEH-MSP, MexicoMexico
Also available as PDF (figures and tables appear in the PDF).
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a very common disease in Mexican society; it is difficult to control due to poor dietary habits and a lack of adequate treatment. In this article, we will discuss whether the COVID-19 virus is a trigger for type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is known that in some people, a COVID-19 infection can affect blood glucose levels, but is it really a trigger for developing diabetes? Objective. To determine how type 2 diabetes mellitus might manifest as a post-COVID-19 condition. Methodology. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted using a questionnaire created in Google Forms, administered to individuals who had contracted COVID-19 and who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results. The results of the survey administered to 38 people indicate that 94.7% of our sample population has type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, we found that the most common age was 76 years, accounting for 15.8% of the sample, while the least common age was 22 years, accounting for 1.6%. Upon questioning our participants, we discovered that 82.9% had been diagnosed with diabetes before the COVID-19 pandemic and that 78.9% contracted COVID-19 between 2020 and 2022. Conclusions . Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death in our country; a large portion of the population suffers from this disease from an early age, making it difficult to establish a link between type 2 diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 as a complication.
Keywords: COVID-19; Diabetes Mellitus Type 2; DiabetesMellitusType2
Dearreader(s),thisarticleisbasedonthemethodology Iusedtoteachpublichealthtothird-semesterstudents intheBachelorofMedicineandSurgeryprogram,on theonehand,toencouragefuturephysicianstolearn howtoconductresearchthatwill,insomeway,help themasdoctorsinthefuturetostayuptodate,toknow howtosearchforscientificinformation,andtoimprove thequalityofcaretheyprovidetotheirpatients, as wellastogainexperienceparticipatinginconferences. Atsomepoint,Iwilldedicatetimetopublishingthe methodologyforteachingpublichealth.
Ithasbeendemonstratedthatdiabetesmellitus(DM) isassociatedwithapoorprognosisforCOVID-19.RecentresearchshowsthatdiabeticpatientswithCOVID- 19frequentlyexperienceuncontrolledandsustained hyperglycemiarequiringexceptionallyhighdosesof insulin,orepisodesofacutehyperglycemiccrisis[1].
Researchteamsobservedthatbetacellsinfectedwith SARS-CoV-2stoppedproducinginsulin. InJackson’s study,infectedbetacellsdiedbyapoptosis,ageneticallyprogrammedsequenceofself-destructioninitiatedbydamagedcells[2].
Thepresenceofchronicinflammationindiabetes,impairedimmunesystemresponse,andcoagulationabnormalitiesmayinfluencetheunderlyingpathophysiologicalmechanismsthatcontributetoincreasedmorbidityandmortalityfromCOVID-19[3][12].
Epidemiologicaldatashowedmanyyearsagothattype 1diabetesismostcommonlydiagnosedfollowingan acuteillness,suchasviralgastroenteritisortheflu.It isknownthatthisprecedingillnesscausesthebody’s immunesystemtoincreasetheproductionofallantibodies,includingpreexistingones,suchasthosedirectedagainsttheinsulin-producingisletcellsofthe pancreas[4].
This may be related to prior stress-induced hyperglycemia,steroid-inducedhyperglycemia,ordirector indirecteffectsofSARS-CoV-2onthepancreaticislet β -cells[5].
However, to date, no study has systematically synthesized the available evidence on the association betweenCOVID-19andnew-onsetdiabetes[5].
ItisessentialforbothcliniciansandresearcherstoidentifythepotentialassociationbetweenCOVID-19and type2diabetesmellitus,asthiscouldhelpdesignmore effectivetreatmentstrategies, improvepatientcare, andguidefutureresearch[6].
Todeterminewhetherthereisanassociationbetween havinghadCOVID-19andthedevelopmentoftype2 diabetesmellitusasapost-COVID-19complication.
IsCOVID-19atriggerassociatedwithtype2diabetes? Could type 2 diabetes mellitus manifest as a post- COVID-19complication?
Anobservational,descriptive,cross-sectionalepidemiologicalstudywasconductedusingaquestionnaire createdinGoogleForms,administeredtoyoungpeopleandadultswhohadcontractedCOVID-19andwho hadbeendiagnosedwithtype2diabetesmellitusprior totheirCOVID-19infection.Thestudyincluded38respondents.Statisticalanalysiswasperformedwithin theGoogleFormsplatform.
Theresultsofthesurveyadministeredto38people indicatethat94.7%ofoursamplepopulationhastype 2diabetesmellitus;thepredominantgenderaffected bythisdiseaseisfemale,accountingfor57.9%,while malesaccountforonly42%.Itwasalsofoundthatthe mostcommonageis76years,accountingfor15.8% ofthesample,whiletheleastcommonageis22years, accountingfor1.6%.
Uponsurveyingourpopulation, wediscoveredthat 82.9%hadbeendiagnosedwithdiabetesbeforecontractingCOVID-19,andthat78.9%contractedCOVID-19 between2020and2022. 63.2%ofoursamplestated thattheyweremonitoringtheirbloodglucoselevels beforecontractingCOVID-19,andonly12.1%reported havingbeenhospitalizedforCOVID-19.
Theresultsshowthatasmallpercentageofourstudy populationhashadelevatedbloodglucoselevelsasa complicationofCOVID-19;however,thisisnotatrigger fortype2diabetesmellitus,since82.9%ofthepopulationhadalreadybeendiagnosedwithdiabetesbefore COVID-19.
Nevertheless,ageisanimportantfactorinthedevelopmentoftype2diabetesmellitus,astheresultsshow ahigherprevalenceamongpeopleover70yearsofage [12].
Whileoneofthelimitationsofastudyofthisnatureis thesamplesize,itisimportanttonotethatitisnoteasy toencourageparticipation, especiallywhendealing withachronicdiseasewherepatientsmayevendeny having[T2DM];however,thefactthatstudentsareinvolvedintheresearchprocessissignificant,anditsimportancewillbecomeevidentinthefutureofmedicine. Itisdifficulttoestablishalinkbetweentype2diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 as a result of [13]. Although somestudiesindicatearelativeriskgreaterthan1,it remainsunclearwhethertheconditionwastrulynewonsetdiabetesorcasesthathadgoneundiagnosed priortotheCOVID-19infection[14];duetolimitedparticipation,thisstudydoesnotdemonstrateanassociationregardingwhatistermedpost-COVID-19diabetes.
Type2diabetesmellitusisoneoftheleadingcauses ofdeathinourcountry;alargeportionofthepopulationhassufferedfromthisdiseasesinceanearlyage, makingitdifficulttoestablishalinkbetweentype2 diabetesmellitusandCOVID-19.
Accordingtothestudy,itcanbeinferredthatthereis noassociationbetweentype2diabetesmellitusand COVID-19, since the majority of the population surveyedreportedhavingdiabetespriortotheemergence ofthevirusin2020.
Conflictofinterest. Theauthorsdeclarethatthereis noconflictofinterestregardingthepublicationofthis article.