COVID-19 infection increases your risk for diabetes, a new study says

On January 21, 2021, a makeshift intensive care unit will be set up at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

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A new study shows that people who have mild cases of COVID-19 are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes within a year.

People who had COVID-19 were 40% more likely to develop diabetes within a year after recovering, compared to people who didn't have the drug. If the patient was hospitalized or had a stay in intensive care, the likelihood of developing diabetes grew.

Ziyad Al-Aly, the lead author of the study, said it was surprising that it was happening in people with no prior risk factors for diabetes.

A growing number of studies show that people who suffered from COVID-19 are at risk of other long-term health problems. Chronic fatigue and heart and kidney ailments are included.

The study that showed the prevalence of cardiac issues in people who survived COVID-19 infections was led by Al-Aly.

The study analyzed data from more than 180,000 patients from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The study compared patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and survived the illness for more than a month with other people who didn't contract COVID in the same period. The data was compared with 4.28 million patients who were treated at the VA.

According to the paper, a small number of people will develop diabetes as a result of being exposed to COVID. According to Al-Aly, over 80 million people in the U.S. have had Covid.

Al-Aly said that there was a significant number of people with new onset diabetes in the U.S. and many more around the world.

According to an internal medicine physician at Yale University, 34 million people in the US had diabetes before Covid. He told NPR that doctors expect 1.5 million new people to be diagnosed with diabetes each year.

What to look out for

A woman with diabetes uses a glucometer to measure her blood sugar.

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The study shows that more attention needs to be paid to the long-term effects of COVID-19. At the doctor's office, more vigilance can start.

Al-Aly said that each person who has come down with the virus needs to be screened.

The study will create more awareness among general practitioners and endocrinologists to screen patients who have had COVID for diabetes and other problems.

Those who have had COVID should seek help at the first sign of an issue, as they should be closely monitoring their health and changes in their body. Increased thirst, frequent urination, and blurry vision are some of the major symptoms of diabetes. Major weight fluctuations are a sign.