Short-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on metabolic control of patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes: a single-centre observational study

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis The strict rules applied in Italy during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, with the prohibition to attend any regular outdoor activity, are likely to influence the degree of metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. We explored such putative effect immediately after the resolution of lockdown rules, in the absence of any variation of pharmacologic treatment. Methods One-hundred and fourteen patients with adequate metabolic control took part in this single-centre, prospective, observational study. The metabolic profile tested 1 week after the end of the lockdown was compared with the last value and the mean of the last three determinations performed before the pandemic emergency (from 6 months to 2 years before). Results After 8 weeks of lockdown, an increase of HbA1c > 0.3% (mean +0.7%) was observed in 26% of the participants; these were also characterized by a persistent elevation in serum triglycerides able to predict the worsening of glucose control. Conclusions Lockdown determined a relevant short-term metabolic worsening in approximately one-fourth of previously well-controlled type 2 diabetic individuals; pre-lockdown triglycerides were the only parameter able to predict such derangement of glucose control.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on glycemic control among outpatients with type 2 diabetes in Japan: A hospital-based survey from a country without lockdown

“…Similar findings were reported in China [15], Korea [16] and by another group in India [17]. In contrast, a separate study from India [18] and one from Greece [19] reported that glycemic control improved; nevertheless, it was reported as unchanged in studies from Italy [20,21] and Turkey [22].…”

“…(1,164 patients) was the same as that observed between March and April 2019 (1,135 patients); meanwhile, the number of patients who requested telemedicine consultations was 30 (1.7%) in the present study sample. These findings suggest that the rate of measurements of HbA1c values at our clinic was not reduced during the pandemic, unlike in countries that imposed lockdowns [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on glucose control of elderly people with type 2 diabetes in Italy

“…On the contrary, Anjana et al in a survey including 205 patients with T2DM found a significant improvement in HbA1c after lockdown (7.7 ± 1.7 vs 8.2 ± 1.9%, P < 0.001) [7]. More recently, in a series of 114 individuals with T2DM, Biancalana et al reported no significant change in glucose control, although a 0.3% increase in HbA1c was found in 26% of them [4]. In summary, a certain degree of heterogeneity has been found as far as changes in glycaemic control are concerned in people with T2DM throughout the lockdown imposed to prevent the spreading of Sars-Cov-2 pandemic.…”

The Impact of COVID-19-Related Lockdown on Diet and Serum Markers in Healthy Adults

“…Similar was found in a study by Barchetta et al [ 29 ]. A study among patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus showed worse glucose control during lockdown, which was worse among patients with higher fasting triglyceride levels pre-lockdown [ 30 ]. On the contrary, some studies found better glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus during lockdown, which could be due to having more time for self-management during lockdown, at least in the short term [ 29 , 31 , 32 , 33 ] or due to reduced work-related stress [ 34 ].…”