‘Vaccination crucial for persons with diabetes’

From thehindu.com

Level of diabetes control correlates with adverse outcomes of COVID-19: experts

It is recommended that persons with diabetes, and associated conditions such as hypertension and heart diseases, take the COVID-19 vaccines as early as possible. These conditions put persons at a higher risk of complications if infected with COVID-19, according to A. Ramachandran, chairman and managing director of Dr. A. Ramachandran’s Diabetes Hospitals (ARH).

Speaking at a webinar on ‘Diabetes Management during COVID-19’ held as a part of The Hindu Wellness Series presented by Diahome and ARH, he said non-COVID-19 medical care was a casualty during the pandemic.

“A large number of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, who need regular medical care, are suffering due to the pandemic for more than a year. These diseases, especially diabetes, are also age-related and increase the risk of complications and adverse undesirable outcomes in COVID-19 infection,” he said.

It was estimated that about 80% of deaths during COVID-19 were among people with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, he said, adding that their study among 1,000 patients, who were hospitalised for COVID-19 in Chennai, found that mortality was twice as high in diabetics when compared to those without diabetes, and all complications were significantly higher among diabetes patients.

“We also found that the level of control of diabetes was directly correlated with adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infections. Therefore, keeping diabetes under good control during COVID-19 is of utmost importance,” he said.

Nanditha Arun, director and consultant diabetologist, ARH, said higher the HbA1C, which indicates blood glucose level for the three months prior to testing, increases the risk of complications and death due to COVID-19. HbA1C of more than eight indicates poor glycaemic control.

“In previously non-diabetics, there are new manifestations of high glucose that we find in some patients in COVID-19 infections — stress-induced hyperglycaemia and new onset diabetes — which is peculiar,” she said.

As a post COVID-19 recommendation, she said patients with diabetes should check blood glucose regularly, get a good diet plan and start exercise under medical advice.

Arun Raghavan, director and consultant diabetologist, ARH, highlighting the importance of vaccination, said those with diabetes, hypertension and other comorbidities, who were in the high-risk group, should get vaccinated at the earliest.

Elaborating on Diahome (Diabetes Care Comes Home), an app from ARH, he said, it could provide comprehensive diabetes care at home.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/vaccination-crucial-for-persons-with-diabetes/article34801855.ece

For those with diabetes, vaccines are a must

From galvnews.com
By DRS. MEGAN BERMAN AND RICHARD RUPP

Chances are that you know someone with diabetes mellitus. It affects almost 10 percent of the population, and odds of having diabetes increase with age, with 1 in 4 people having diabetes after age 65. Diabetes mellitus, often referred to as “sugar diabetes” because of the inability to regulate blood sugar levels, results from the body not making enough insulin or not being able to use insulin properly.

Insulin is necessary to move sugar from the blood into cells to be used for energy. Without working insulin, blood sugar rises and damages the blood vessels and other body tissues leading to blindness, nerve disease, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes.

What does this all have to do with vaccines? It turns out vaccines can play a major role in helping keep individuals with diabetes well.

Diabetes impairs the immune system and interferes with the ability of cells in the body to release chemicals that defend against germs. Additionally, the immune cells that gobble up bacteria or kill infected cells don’t work as well. Researchers have found that some of these issues result from high sugar levels but others don’t. Put another way, even a diabetic with excellent blood sugar control is still at increased risk of infection.

Besides the weakened immune system, diabetics have other problems leading to infection. Nerve damage keeps diabetics from sensing when they may become injured or develop pressure sores. Resulting cuts and ulcers heal slowly due to poor circulation. The open wounds provide easy entry for bacteria and fungi.

Bacteria grow faster in body tissues with elevated sugar levels and this may be the reason diabetics are at risk of infections of the lung (pneumonia), blood (septicemia), spinal cord and brain (meningitis) and urinary tract.

Serious complications are four times more likely to develop in diabetics with these infections compared to otherwise healthy individuals. The stress from fighting an infection can send a diabetic’s blood sugars spiralling dangerously out of control further complicating the course.

Given the additional difficulties, diabetics are much more likely to die than healthy individuals with similar infections. Vaccines, however, can provided needed protection.

Pneumovax, a pneumonia vaccine, is a must. Diabetics should receive it once younger than the age of 65 and again in the senior years. Due to diabetics’ increased risk of skin infections and the fact that tetanus bacteria are just about everywhere in the environment, a tetanus shot is essential every 10 years. A flu shot is needed every year as the flu strikes diabetics particularly hard. Diabetics are at increased risk of shingles and should receive Shingrix once they turn 50.

Diabetics have twice the risk of catching hepatitis B compared to healthy individuals. Many adults have never been vaccinated. Luckily, there’s a new hepatitis B vaccine, Heplisav-B, which requires two shots instead of three and better stimulates the immune system.

Diabetics, who track their blood sugars, follow diet guidelines, take their prescribed medications and are vaccinated, have the best chance at a long, healthy life.

https://www.galvnews.com/health/free/article_12378c48-8272-5a43-aa98-6fc7b8fd0fcb.html