The correlation between COVID-19 severity and elevated level of serum glucose

Abstract

The collision of COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes (T2D) highlights T2D as the second most prevalent comorbidity in COVID-19. This infection exacerbates complications in diabetics. It elevates blood glucose through excessive glucocorticoid and catecholamine release. This hyperglycemia triggers pro-inflammatory monocytes, heightens platelet reactivity, and amplifies cardiovascular deaths in diabetics. This cross-sectional study, conducted at Private Nursing Home Hospital in Baghdad, focused on 143 COVID-19 patients diagnosed via RNA detection in nasopharyngeal secretions using PCR from May to August 2021. The patients, aged 18 to 76, had no prior history of diabetes upon admission. An 86-member control group, free from COVID-19 and diabetes history, aged 20 to 73, was also included. BMI, platelet count, WBC, ESR, RBG, and serum levels of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were measured. The results revealed statistically highly differences in RBG between the two groups (p-value = 0.001), and significant variations in the Mean ± SD values of ALT and AST enzyme levels, as well as in WBC and ESR, when comparing COVID patients to non-COVID patients. In summary, our findings show a positive correlation between admission hyperglycemia and the risk of severe COVID-19, emphasizing the significance of monitoring and managing blood glucose levels. Effective glycemic control could aid in mitigating COVID-19 progression and is integral to comprehensive treatment. These glucose-related changes and COVID-19 impact on the pancreas may contribute to the development of T2D.