{"id":205895,"date":"2020-09-17T00:03:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T00:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5f17670acf5743285.temporary.link\/rohsi.org\/?p=205895"},"modified":"2020-09-17T00:03:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T00:03:58","slug":"managing-high-blood-sugar-is-key-to-reducing-covid-19-complications-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205895","title":{"rendered":"MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/algorithm-combats-high-blood-sugar-covid-19-5076047?utm_campaign=health_tod&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=cn_nl&amp;utm_content=21385819&amp;utm_term=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>By<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/slug-placeholder-5069440\"><strong>Kara-Marie Hall, RN, BSN, CCRN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Researchers at Michigan Medicine are using a targeted algorithm to help manage blood sugar levels in COVID-19 patients.<\/li>\n<li>High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is linked to severe illness in those with COVID-19.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Having a severe case of COVID-19 can also cause high blood sugar in people who\u00a0<em>do not\u00a0<\/em>have diabetes.<\/li>\n<li>Aggressive management of high blood sugar in patients with COVID-19 appears to reduce their risk of long-term health consequences associated with the virus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Researchers at Michigan Medicine have created a management tool that could improve outcomes for patients with high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and COVID-19. The research, which was published ahead of print on August 11 in the journal\u00a0<em>Diabetes<\/em>, shows a two-way relationship between\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/recommended-blood-glucose-levels-for-diabetes-1087681\">blood sugar levels<\/a>\u00a0and COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>According to the researchers, having high blood sugar can put patients at risk for more severe illness if they contract COVID-19. The reverse also appears to be true: patients with COVID-19 also are at risk for high blood sugar levels, even if they do not have diabetes.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBased on current evidence, it\u2019s fair to say that the COVID-19 virus, particularly in its most severe forms, leads to much higher blood glucose levels,\u201d study senior author\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uofmhealth.org\/profile\/1237\/rodica-busui-md-phd\">Rodica Pop-Busui, MD, PhD<\/a>, tells Verywell. Pop-Busui adds that having high blood glucose levels can also lead to worse outcomes for patients with COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>If left uncontrolled, the inflammation from COVID-19\u2014often called a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/cytokine-storm-syndrome-4842383\">cytokine storm<\/a>\u201d\u2014can cause complications when coupled with inflammation caused by hyperglycemia.<sup>1<\/sup> It also increases the likelihood of needing mechanical ventilation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Is Hyperglycemia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sugar (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/estimated-average-glucose-eag-3289637\">glucose<\/a>) is necessary for proper organ function. Glucose enters your organs\u2019 cells through a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/how-insulin-works-in-the-body-1087716\">hormone called insulin<\/a>. If the amount of glucose in your body exceeds the amount of insulin available, the glucose builds up in your blood and causes high blood sugar levels, known as hyperglycemia.<\/p>\n<p>Hyperglycemia is typically defined as a blood sugar level of at least 180 mg\/dl or greater when measured one to two hours after eating.<sup>2<\/sup> However, the defined range varies among health organizations.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/what-is-diabetes-mellitus-3289535\">Diabetes mellitus<\/a>\u00a0(type 1, type 2, and gestational) is the most common cause.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michigan Medicine Introduces Hyperglycemia Management Teams<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The researchers at Michigan Medicine designed a personalized, targeted clinical algorithm\u2014a set of guidelines that helps healthcare providers make decisions\u2014to help frontline healthcare workers without adding to their already heavy workload.<\/p>\n<p>To put the guidelines into practice, the researchers launched several hyperglycemia management teams that were tasked with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Checking patients&#8217; glucose values through venous and arterial blood specimens rather than bedside glucose checks (because it&#8217;s more convenient)<\/li>\n<li>Creating timely insulin dose adjustments multiple times a day<\/li>\n<li>Reducing the number of glucose checks for most patients to every six hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not only did the algorithm lower patients&#8217; glucose levels to an acceptable target range (generally 150-180 mg\/dL), it also lessened the burden on frontline health care workers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe developed this early in the course of the pandemic, and we have continued to adapt and improve it based on lessons learned daily on the frontlines,\u201d Pop-Busui says.\u00a0\u201cOthers have started to use variations of this algorithm as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What This Means For You<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you have diabetes or even prediabetes, keeping your blood sugar levels well-controlled can help you reduce the risk of complications if you contract COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p><strong>COVID-19 Can Trigger Hyperglycemia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Michigan Medicine researchers also found that some of the COVID-19 patients who had been referred to them for treatment developed high blood sugar levels even though they did not have diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe severe inflammatory reaction triggers insulin resistance and high blood sugar even in people who may not have had known diabetes, but could have been in a prediabetic state,&#8221; Pop-Busui says.<\/p>\n<p>A recent study published in the<em>\u00a0Journal of Medical Virology<\/em>\u00a0corroborates this idea, showing that out of 184 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, about 24% of patients were prediabetic.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is Prediabetes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/pre-diabetes-4014095\">Prediabetes<\/a>\u00a0is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes. Over 84% of people with prediabetes are unaware that they have it.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>However, factors beyond diabetes and prediabetes can contribute to high blood sugar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Patients with hyperglycemia] may also simply have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/after-surgery-infection-and-glucose-3970391\">stress hyperglycemia<\/a>, which can occur from the stress of illness,&#8221;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uofmhealth.org\/profile\/175\/roma-yogesh-gianchandani-mbbs\">Roma Gianchandani, MD<\/a>, another author of the Michigan Medicine study, tells Verywell,<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of whether patients have prediabetes, diabetes, or stress hyperglycemia, Pop-Busui says their high blood sugar levels need immediate and sustained treatment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Risks of Untreated Hyperglycemia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/romyblockmd.com\/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm-buxee86wIVuhatBh3Y5Q2zEAAYASAAEgILFvD_BwE\">Romy Block, MD<\/a>, an endocrinologist and co-founder of Vous Vitamin, tells Verywell that long-term, high blood sugars can directly injure blood vessels. Several health problems can result from this damage, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/diabetic-retinopathy-3421721\"><strong>Eye problems<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(including blindness)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/peripheral-edema-and-diabetes-1087725\"><strong>Heart disease<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(which can lead to a heart attack or stroke)\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/kidney-disease-diet-tips-for-people-with-diabetes-1087563\"><strong>Kidney damage<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(which may require\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-dialysis-2085855\">dialysis\u00a0<\/a>or a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/before-during-and-after-kidney-transplant-surgery-4173086\">kidney transplant<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIn many medical conditions, tightly controlled sugars can decrease the duration of illness and decrease the [number of] days spent in the hospital,&#8221; Block says.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/hyperglycemia-treatment-4163709\">Treatment for hyperglycemia<\/a>\u00a0usually includes the administration of insulin\u2014either given intravenously (directly into your vein) or under the skin\u2014to bring down high blood sugar levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY By: Kara-Marie Hall, RN, BSN, CCRN Key Takeaways: Researchers at Michigan Medicine are using a targeted algorithm to help manage blood sugar levels in COVID-19 patients. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is linked to severe illness in those with COVID-19.\u00a0 Having a severe case of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[94,85,89],"class_list":["post-205895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-tips","tag-covid-19","tag-diabetes","tag-heart-disease"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY - Rays of Hope Support Initiative<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205895\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY - Rays of Hope Support Initiative\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MANAGING HIGH BLOOD SUGAR IS KEY TO REDUCING COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS: STUDY By: Kara-Marie Hall, RN, BSN, CCRN Key Takeaways: Researchers at Michigan Medicine are using a targeted algorithm to help manage blood sugar levels in COVID-19 patients. 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