The coronavirus pandemic has significantly changed the health landscape in the United States these past two years, especially when it comes to the management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
The pandemic has raised the threat of more serious ailments for many individuals with underlying health conditions. This will likely contribute to an increase in mortality for some of the leading causes of death, including diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Robert Gabbay of the American Diabetes Association stated that most of the issues and conditions that need to be addressed with diabetes had been delayed for a long period, noting that this would have implications as more time passes.
A survey carried out last year found that some adults delayed or decided to forego care for fear of being exposed to the coronavirus. The survey also discovered that those with chronic health conditions were more likely to report delaying or foregoing care in comparison to those without a chronic disease.
The postponement of routine care and preventive visits has facilitated an increase in the number of individuals with prediabetes, with Gabbay noting that the socioeconomic fallout from the pandemic has impacted the ability of diabetes patients to manage their conditions effectively. Additionally, there has also been an increase in diabetes incidence among adolescents and children, as well as in the prevalence of prediabetes among the youth. This is despite the decrease recorded in the rates of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes among adults in the U.S.
A 2020 CDC study also found that a number of patients who died from the coronavirus had diabetes, which they considered to be one of the many illnesses that heightened an individual’s risk of severe illness. In addition to this, the number of diabetes deaths recorded annually in the U.S. rose by more than 15% in 2020, in comparison to 2019’s figures.
Gabbay added that there is also evidence suggesting that the coronavirus may also fuel new cases of diabetes. This is backed by a recently published study which discovered that the coronavirus could infect beta cells in the pancreas, which would compromise the body’s ability to produce insulin, which the body uses to regulate blood sugar.
These findings, which were reported in the “Cell Metabolism” journal, are especially concerning for those who already had a high risk of developing diabetes, even before they contracted the coronavirus. This, if proven to be true, may have long-term implications on public health.
Fortunately, some companies, including Nemaura Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: NMRD), have availed technology that can allow people diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes to monitor their blood glucose levels on a continuous basis so the treatment they receive can be tailored based on the real-time data collected.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Nemaura Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: NMRD) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NMRD
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