The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) learned early in the pandemic that people with underlying conditions, such as diabetes, are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 if infected. Now, a new analysis of seven studies suggests that diabetics may also have a greater risk of Long COVID after initial virus recovery.*

What the researchers did

To learn more about the relationship between diabetes and Long COVID, the scientists conducted an extensive online search for studies that:

• Were peer-reviewed observational studies related to Long COVID risk with and without diabetes
• Were published between 2020 and 2022
• Followed participants for at least 4 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis, to see whether Long COVID symptoms developed.

A total of 39 studies met their basic criteria. These were narrowed down to seven studies that met all their criteria and were analyzed. 

What they found

Presenting their findings to the American Dietetic Association, the researchers reported that: 

• Three of the seven studies (43%) showed that people with diabetes were as much as four times more likely to develop Long COVID as non-diabetics, making diabetes a “potent” Long COVID risk factor.

That said, the authors note the limitations of the results:

• Different definitions of Long COVID were used in different studies.
• Different at-risk populations were used (hospitalized versus moderately ill people).
• Different follow-up times were used, from 4 weeks to 7 months.

The findings have not yet been peer-reviewed.

What it means

The researchers concluded that “[m]ore high-quality studies across multiple populations and settings are needed to determine if diabetes is indeed a risk factor for [Long COVID].” Until then, they suggest people with diabetes be given “careful monitoring” for any Long COVID symptoms.

*Lapid, N. (2022, June 14). Diabetes may increase long COVID risk. MDLinx. https://www.mdlinx.com/news/diabetes-may-increase-long-covid-risk/ogCvTSYhxrM28aSc8hhVu