The Possible Impact of COVID-19 on Glycated Hemoglobin and Systolic Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity

• Published in: Obesities Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 412 - 426
• Main Authors: Minari, Tatiana Palotta, Manzano, Carolina Freitas, Tácito Yugar, Louise Buonalumi, Sedenho-Prado, Luis Gustavo, Rubio, Tatiane de Azevedo, Tácito, Lúcia Helena Bonalumi, Pires, Antônio Carlos, Vilela-Martin, José Fernando, Cosenso-Martin, Luciana Neves, Ludovico, Nelson Dinamarco, Fattori, André, Yugar-Toledo, Juan Carlos, Moreno, Heitor, Pisani, Luciana Pellegrini
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01.12.2024
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic; hemoglobin glycated; nutritional intervention; obesity; systolic blood pressure; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 2673-4168; 2673-4168
• DOI: 10.3390/obesities4040033

Background: There are still discrepancies in the literature as to whether COVID-19 infection could impact biochemical, anthropometric, and cardiovascular markers. The purpose of this study was firstly to observe the effects of COVID-19 infection over 12 months on Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. Secondarily, we analyzed the individual influence of COVID-19 infection on changes in biochemical, anthropometric, and cardiovascular markers. Methods: This study is part of a secondary analysis of a recently published article. The research involved 84 participants with T2D, divided into two groups: the control group (40 participants) received only medical care, while the intervention group (44 participants) received both medical care and nutritional assessment. Consultations were held quarterly over 12 months, with a follow-up after 3 months. Data Analysis: For influence analysis, non-normal variables were compared using the Mann–Whitney test, and normal variables were compared using unpaired t-tests. For all cases, α = 0.05 and p < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The analysis revealed a high percentage of patients in both groups who had a COVID-19 infection (70% control and 72.7% intervention) over 12 months. Regarding the influence analysis, participants in the intervention group who were infected with COVID-19 showed smaller reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p = 0.0120) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.0460). For the other biochemical, anthropometric, and cardiovascular markers, in both groups, no significant differences were found (p > 0.05). Conclusion: COVID-19 possibly influenced SBP and HbA1c levels over 12 months in people with T2D and obesity. However, caution should be exercised in generalizing these results due to the limitations of this study. Additionally, influence analysis does not establish a causal relationship, and more clinical trials in different populations are needed to fully analyze this topic.