Lockdown may worsen diabetes cases: Maharashtra doctors – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Covid-19 pandemic could have a severe and adverse impact on blood sugar levels among diabetes patients across the country, said doctors ahead of the World Diabetes Day on November 14.
Complete coverage: Covid-19 pandemic
During the lockdown, several patients had either not followed their medical regime well or exercised enough to keep sugar levels in check. “People became sedentary and unmindful of what they ate,” said endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi, dean, Indian College of Physicians who is a member of Maharashtra state task force on Covid-19.
The effect of Covid-19 on India’s diabetes control was noticeable in IMPACT India campaign’s results announced last week. The campaign found that the HbA1c (an indirect marker for diabetes) graph, which kept reducing from November 2018, started rising as the lockdown began.
Live updates: Coronavirus pandemic
‘Covid-19 could have long-term diabetes effect’
We expect a tsunami of diabetes cases and higher blood sugar levels due to the Covid crisis,” said endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi, dean, Indian College of Physicians, who is a member of Maharashtra state task force on Covid-19.
The 1,000-day IMPACT India campaign, supported by pharma major Novo Nordisk, aimed at bringing down levels of HbA1c (an indirect diabetes marker) by 1%—from 8.6% in November 2018 to 7.6% in July 2021, thereby sharply reducing the risk of diabetes-related stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.
The IMPACT findings at the end of two years showed the HbA1c graph, which kept reducing from 8.6% in November 2018, started rising as the lockdown began. In the July-September quarter, the average HbA1c count for all-India stood at 8.5%.
In Mumbai, the HbA1c count, which dropped to 8.1% in April-June 2019, climbed to 8.2% in July-September period.
When the pandemic struck in March, doctors noted several critically ill patients had elevated levels of blood sugar levels. “In the first Covid-19 peak in Mumbai in May, many patients brought to hospitals for admission had sugar levels over 400,” said a public hospital doctor.
Data from across the world shows diabetes is directly associated with severity and deaths in Covid-19 patients. A doctor said Covid could have a long-term effect on diabetes as some needed more medication and insulin.