COVID As a Metabolic Wake-Up Call: What Is the Relationship Between Insulin, Blood Sugar, and Immunity? Part II

COVID-19 can cause a wide array of short and long-term health concerns, ranging from temporary shortness of breath to enduring brain fog. Many of these are poorly understood due to the novel nature of the virus. Such is the case for the relationship between blood sugar and immunity to the disease, a pattern that becomes increasingly clear as more data becomes available.

In the first part of this blog series, we examined the role of diabetes in COVID complications. Now, we’ll highlight the strange interplay of blood sugar and COVID in people who have not already been diagnosed with diabetes.

High Blood Sugar As a Risk Factor

It’s already common knowledge that people with diabetes are at greater risk of experiencing significant COVID complications. What many people fail to realize, however, is that elevated blood sugar can be problematic even without a diabetes diagnosis.

Research suggests a connection between mortality risk and blood sugar levels, regardless of the patient’s history of diabetes (or lack thereof). Those with high blood sugar levels tend to spend more time in the hospital and require more intensive care.

Why Is High Blood Sugar So Risky?

Further research is needed to confidently verify the link between an individual’s blood sugar and their immunity to COVID. Many experts believe that the inflammatory nature of the disease is to blame. Rodica Pop-Busui M.D., Ph.D. believes that, while suffering COVID, hyperglycemia prompts an inflammatory surge. This, in turn, leads to an abnormal immune response that can affect otherwise healthy cells.

Given the growing body of research suggesting a link between blood sugar and COVID response, management is crucial at this time — even in non-diabetic individuals. A proactive attitude can make a world of difference. It may be worth your while to explore blood sugar management as a precautionary measure that’s just as important as masks and hand sanitizer.

If you want more information on the interplay between COVID and medical malpractice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Regan Zambri Long PLLC.