Researchers report for the first time the case of a young man, originally in good health, who developed diabetes after being infected with Covid-19.
- Certain viral infections can cause diabetes, in particular because they unbalance blood sugar levels
- The case of a young man infected with Covid-19 and subsequently presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis has been reported in the scientific literature
- Coronaviruses may cause diabetes by disrupting normal pancreatic cell function
Until now, we knew that people with diabetes are among the populations at risk in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates that the new coronavirus could in some cases lead to the development of diabetes in healthy patients.
Diabetes after a viral infection
It has been shown before that viral infections can cause diabetes, in particular because the balance of blood sugar is often disturbed. The case was reported in patients who had had mumps or who had been affected by a mumps infection.terovirus. Diabetes was also diagnosed in patients infected by the SARS epidemic of 2002-2004, specify the researchers in the preamble of their article. For 10% of them, diabetes took a chronic form.
It would seem that the risk is also present with the new coronavirus. The researchers report only one case so far, that of a young man who was infected with Covid-19 and subsequently presented with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication that usually occurs in people with type 1 diabetes. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea, headache, confusion, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness.
Coronaviruses, precursors of diabetes?
Like its predecessor SARS of 2002-2004, Covid-19 has a protein that allows it to attach to lung, kidney and pancreatic cells. Researchers think it’s possible that these coronaviruses could cause diabetes by disrupting normal cell function when they attach to cells in the pancreas.
“There is not yet solid data to indicate that Covid-19 causes new diabetes or worsens existing diabetes. Some data, however, suggests that there could be a possible link, which is why scientists are looking to explore this avenue further.explains to the scientific site Iflscience Professor Riyaz Patel, cardiologist.
Further studies are therefore needed to confirm this first observation. Many “Covid patients” say they still have sequelae from the disease two months or more after being infected. 7 months after the known start of the pandemic, doctors and researchers will finally be able to observe the possible side effects of the infection in those affected. The future will tell if diabetes is officially one of them.
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