SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk of diabetes onset
Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM. Posted on August 3rd, 2022
Even though the acute SARS-CoV-2 infection had been resolved, many patients still report abnormalities with their health. The constellation of these conditions are commonly preferred to as long-COVID, and they can include dysfunction to the respiratory, digestive, neurological system, etc. A large cohort study using data from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, had recently reported that diabetes might be included into the developing list of post-COVID sequelae.
The study followed 181,280 participants that tested positive for COVID-19. These individuals were matched with 4,118,441 demographically similar COVID-negative controls. Participants in both groups did not have diabetes at enrollment and they were followed for a median duration of 352 days. The study found that those who had previously been infected with COVID-19 had a 40% higher risk of developing diabetes. And the severity of COVID-19 is associated with the likelihood of diabetes onset:
The mechanism of pathogenesis is currently unknown. Many cells in the pancreas express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 on their surface; as a result, SARS-CoV-2 can potentially infect these the pancreas. However, in vivo studies had found that the virus has no cytopathic effect on pancreatic cells. Thus, the association between COVID-19 and the loss of insulin sensitivity is possibly due to the autoimmunity and inflammation triggered by the infection.
The study followed 181,280 participants that tested positive for COVID-19. These individuals were matched with 4,118,441 demographically similar COVID-negative controls. Participants in both groups did not have diabetes at enrollment and they were followed for a median duration of 352 days. The study found that those who had previously been infected with COVID-19 had a 40% higher risk of developing diabetes. And the severity of COVID-19 is associated with the likelihood of diabetes onset:
- Managed at home: 24.1% higher risk
- Hospitalized: 165.4%
- Admitted to the intensive-care unit: 258.7%
The mechanism of pathogenesis is currently unknown. Many cells in the pancreas express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 on their surface; as a result, SARS-CoV-2 can potentially infect these the pancreas. However, in vivo studies had found that the virus has no cytopathic effect on pancreatic cells. Thus, the association between COVID-19 and the loss of insulin sensitivity is possibly due to the autoimmunity and inflammation triggered by the infection.