Pre-Diabetic after Covid

[ilovebagpuss]

Just wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed as diabetic or pre diabetic following Covid? I have had it 3 times and just been told I am on the lower end of pre diabetic Type 2.
I am overweight but not so much that I would have worried about this but yes it could just be weight related.
However there are studies showing that Covid does damage cells that control insulin as I know other virus's can do, but it seems to do quite a bit of damage from some studies.
Just wondering if anyone else thinks the link could be bigger than we know so far or has had similar diagnosis.

Hi OP,
I've just re-joined MN especially to reply to you as this is my area of expertise :)

My teenage child has Type 1 diabetes, diagnosed after possibly covid, or maybe another respiratory illness - we don't know for sure as tests weren't routinely done when he caught whatever it was.

If you have been told that you are pre-diabetes Type2 then it is most probably not because your islet cells have been damaged. People with T2D don't have damaged islet cells and they still produce lots and lots of insulin, often too much in fact. The problem is that a T2D persons body can't use that insulin so they just produce more and more.

T1D on the other hand is an autoimmune disease where your islets are attacked by your own body and damaged/killed (often as a result of having a virus like covid, but lots of other virus's can act as a trigger too). I think this is what you are thinking of but if you have been told you are borderline T2 then it isn't really relevant.

Type 2 and Type 1 Diabetes are very different from each other and have different aetiology.

The fact you have had covid is probably just a co-incidence but one that has led you to maybe take more notice of your post-covid health.

I hope you find this helpful OP :)

Ps
I meant to add that the best thing you can do is up your exercise and lose some weight to reduce your pre-diabetic diagnosis.

I have read that it's suspected there may be a genetic element to T2D re: susceptibility so you don't necessarily have to be very overweight/sedentary to become susceptible if your genes are not tipped in your favour.

Thank you that's very interesting, I am sorry about your child too you must have done a lot of research to help him/her too.
Yes I'm sure it's just my weight there is no family link which lead me to read up and came across the Covid/diabetic studies but did not realise it was only T1 that was affected.
It certainly could do with a bit more public awareness especially if you have children who seem to struggle post covid for people to make the possible link and have a think about it.
Thanks again for joining back up to share your knowledge

@ilovebagpuss

Thank you that's very interesting, I am sorry about your child too you must have done a lot of research to help him/her too. Yes I'm sure it's just my weight there is no family link which lead me to read up and came across the Covid/diabetic studies but did not realise it was only T1 that was affected. It certainly could do with a bit more public awareness especially if you have children who seem to struggle post covid for people to make the possible link and have a think about it. Thanks again for joining back up to share your knowledge

You're very welcome and I hope you get your health sorted x

I also came across this on the diabetes.org website but the research is obviously early days. The piece also said T1 effect is seen more often post covid as per your personal experience.

^^What's going on inside the body?

One theory is that inflammation inside the body caused by coronavirus brings aboutinsulin resistance, a feature of type 2 diabetes, which means the body isn’t able to make proper use of the insulin it’s producing.

Hi,

Well maybe it is a possibility then, I hadn't heard about that thank you :)

If that is the case and general post-covid inflammation has triggered insulin resistance (ie T2D) then maybe the best thing is to try and reduce that inflammation (and insulin resistance) - cut out processed foods/alcohol, lots of fresh fruit/veg, reduce your weight and increase exercise. I'm not expert in how to reduce body inflammation, but I would imagine this is good start??

The good news is that insulin resistance can go into remission with the right approach - hence people saying they've been 'cured' of (T2) diabetes. It's not really a cure as it will come back if you don't actively treat it by losing weight, exercising etc but remission is a pretty good outcome I think.

I hope you get on top of it :)

Yes my friend now has T2 after covid. She did have gestational diabetes so was more likely to get it anyway.

One thing to consider is that T1 diabetes can be diagnosed in adults and it often has a slower onset so is often misdiagnosed as T2.

The only way to rule out T1 diabetes are blood tests for antibodies and a c-peptide blood test.

In T1 there will always be antibodies present and c-peptide will be low. In the case of T2 there will be no antibodies and c-peptide will be high.

Whatever the type of diabetes maintaining good blood sugar levels is vital.

What would low blood sugar be?

There's research which is showing a link to diabetes onset after covid and there's lots of anecdata. I think there's a pretty clear link.

It might not be just your weight. I've got no diabetes genetics in my family but was diagnosed with T2. I lost a dramatic lot of weight but remained diabetic, curse it.

@Nyfluff

What would low blood sugar be?

Low blood sugar would be below 4.0/3.9 mmols.

But if you've recently been diagnosed with diabetes and your body is used to having a blood sugar that is too consistently high (above 7.8) then you may get symptoms of low blood sugar when its around 4.5mmols as your body re-adjusts.

mobile.twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1506067380820070401

Saw this this morning and thought of your thread OP. I’d say it does look increasingly likely that covid infection is associated with subsequently developing T2 diabetes and with T1 in children from what I’ve read previously.

Covid the gift that just keeps on giving. Bastard virus.

It’s a tricky little bugger.

The next decade is going to be quite ‘interesting’ figuring out what damage it has caused.

Yes I wasn't aware that standard virus' could trigger type 1 but apparently the % risk is much higher after Covid. Still low risk but noteworthy. The info I read was saying that with type 2 it may be hastening what may be a possibility anyway.
I think there will be quite a few lasting effects that come to light as well as long Covid and things they already know like cases of heart muscle damage.
At least I have a change to reduce and hopefully stave off the diabetes with weight loss and exercise. Just need to avoid Covid number 4 for a while.

I have been diagnosed with diabetes after having covid. Apparently covid can harm the pancreas and stop it working properly. Mine was picked up when having bloods because of long term breathing issues post covid

I am so sorry you are going this OP. May I ask, and please don't feel obligated to reply, but were your vaccinated when you caught the virus? I thought the theory was the vaccines helped one avoid this which is why they vaccinated some categories of ppl first but I wonder if things are not as clear cut in reality...