People with diabetes more likely to develop Long COVID

Within the context of a longitudinal study in the UK, researchers examined whether people living with diabetes have a higher risk of developing Long COVID after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. To this end, they evaluated the data of more than 11,600 adults aged 16 years and over. 

They looked at whether the participants had already had pre-pandemic diabetes in the years 2018 and 2019, based on self-report of a doctor’s diagnosis. Then they assessed who had developed Long COVID by the end of the follow-up period from 2022 to 2023. For the purposes of this study, Long COVID was defined as self-reported symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks after a COVID-19 infection that could not be explained by another cause. 

The results showed that participants with pre-pandemic diabetes had a higher risk of developing persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection. This association remained even after adjusting for other factors such as age, sex or co-morbidities: In this case, the probability of developing Long COVID was approximately 14 per cent for individuals with diabetes and approximately 9 per cent for non-diabetics.

The researchers concluded from these results that doctors should be extra vigilant to pick up Long COVID symptoms in diabetics after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The researchers also highlight the importance of effective diabetes management and blood sugar control, not only for acute COVID-19 outcomes, but also for preventing long-term effects.